Sustainability in baking: Reducing waste through smarter quality control

As the expectations for freshness, quality, and availability rise in the commercial baking sector, the implementation of smarter quality control and waste reduction strategies is essential to making production sustainable.

While markdowns and redistribution channels can ease the symptoms of waste, real progress comes from waste prevention achieved by harnessing data and intelligent quality control.

How does food waste impact the environment?

Food waste is among major sustainability threats facing the UK and wider world today, contributing significantly to climate change and environmental degradation.

According to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), around 10.2 million tonnes of food are wasted each year in the UK alone, highlighting not only a massive economic cost, but an environmental one too.

Much of this wasted food ends up in landfill, where it gradually decomposes while releasing methane - a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat and powering the devastating effects of climate change.

Beyond the emissions from waste itself, the energy, water, and raw materials used to produce, transport, and store this food are also squandered, further amplifying the overall environmental impact.

Bakery waste and surplus: the two sources of inefficiency

In commercial baking, waste and surplus arise for different reasons but both are the result of inefficiencies.

Baking waste largely occurs due to production errors and rejections as goods fail to pass quality control measures or meet customer expectations, while surplus stems from overproduction and demand misalignment.

Addressing both effectively demands a shift from reactive responses to proactive, data-informed solutions.

Tackling unsold goods and overproduction

How often have you seen freshly-baked bread, cakes, and pastries reduced in the supermarket aisles? This is the everyday reality of food waste in the UK.

Despite redistribution schemes and waste-reduction apps like Too Good To Go, the mismatch between customer demand for fresh, fully-stocked shelves and the industry’s need for efficiency drives overproduction and the increase in unsold goods.

The UK retail sector alone contributes around 270,000 tonnes of food waste each year, with supermarkets being a major source. Much of this waste represents not only lost profit, but also an unnecessary and negative environmental impact.

To tackle this, bakeries must move towards adopting a more flexible, data-led response to their customers’ buying behaviour.

By monitoring real-time sales data and a selection of relevant external factors, including weather patterns, holidays, and marketing activity, forecasting can stay agile, allowing bakeries to adjust the quantity and distribution of goods in line with demand.

Reducing the amount of rejected products

Rejected bakery products are another substantial source of food waste in the commercial baking industry.

A direct result of inconsistencies in the baking process, these products are often edible but can’t be sold due to their cosmetic imperfections.

Whether they have a cracked top, misshapen form, or inconsistent colouring, just like unsold goods, these imperfect items tend to end up in the same place – landfill.

Even the smallest errors in the baking production process can create large-scale waste if not swiftly identified and rectified.

These inefficiencies can be caused by a wide range of issues, such as poor temperature control, equipment faults, and even inaccurate measurements.

The solution? Effective quality control is vital for reducing bakery waste by catching errors early, preventing ingredient overuse, minimising product defects, and enabling continuous process improvement.

Without precise monitoring and consistent standards, bakeries not only risk higher rejection rates and resource waste, but they also face increased operational costs.

By making changes to their manufacturing and distribution operations, one of our well-known customers, Warburtons, has avoided sending any of their food products to landfill since 2015.

Combining proactive and reactive solutions

Looking beyond proactive prevention, some of the more innovative bakeries are finding new, reactive ways to tackle excess waste by treating it as a resource rather than a liability.

By upcycling bakery by-products and ingredients, such as turning spent grain or pulp into flour, this approach cuts waste and creates new, more sustainable product lines.

Equally important for the reactive reduction of food waste is collaboration across the supply chain.

Bakeries that choose to work closely with suppliers, distributors, and even competitors can facilitate shared efficiencies through joint logistics, redistribution of surplus stock, and partnerships with food rescue organisations.

And it works - since 2017, Warburtons has redistributed over 345 tonnes of product (equivalent to 430,000 loaves of bread!) to help those in need through their partnerships with Fareshare, Company Shop, and other charitable organisations.

The tangible risks of inaction

And as a major environmental issue, commercial food waste is strongly frowned upon in the UK.

Without smart quality control, an increase in wasted resources and goods is inevitable, directly contributing to greater landfill impact and higher greenhouse gas emissions.

Companies that fail to recognise the severity of this issue and implement necessary measures are likely to face public criticism, investor concern, and long-lasting brand damage.

Crucially, failing to introduce appropriate bakery waste reduction measures can also lead to higher rework costs, an increase in scrapped products, and expenses associated with disposing of faulty goods.

How smarter quality control is shaping the future of sustainable baking

Emerging technologies such as automated baking analysis systems are enabling more precise quality control and data-driven decision-making in the commercial baking industry.

Applications like C-Cell baking analysis systems offer valuable, quantifiable data that can inform bake quality and tackle wastage. By assessing various parameters such as cell size, distribution, density, and colour, such systems can assist bakeries with:

• Identifying inconsistencies early in the baking process

• Analysing ingredients against permissible contaminant levels

• Optimising formulations and process settings

• Reducing rejected batches and ingredient waste

• Improving return on investment through greater efficiency

These kinds of efficient, data-led solutions highlight the increasing importance of proactive prevention, underpinning a more sustainable future for commercial baking.

Want to learn more about how the C-Cell baking analysis tool can support environment-friendly baking? Talk to our expert team today.

From art to science: Quantifying texture and mouthfeel in baked goods

From light, airy loaves to chewy chocolate chip cookies, the texture and mouthfeel of baked goods have been historically judged solely by a human’s perception.

Whether that’s the baker’s touch, the consumer’s bite, or an expert panellist’s opinion, the limitation of these assessment processes is that they only produce subjective, qualitative data.

Now, modern technology, in the form of baking quality analyser tools, is changing how we assess texture by transforming it from an art form into a measurable science.

By quantifying crumb structure and linking it directly to sensory language like ‘soft’, ‘airy’, and ‘chewy’, these innovations bridge the gap between subjective experience and objective data, enabling a more reliable understanding of what makes the perfect baked good bite.

Why texture in baking matters

Texture isn’t just a sensory benefit; it’s a defining feature that can make or break a baked product’s appeal.

How many bakery reviewers describe a cake as simply ‘good’ or a loaf of bread as merely ‘bad’? The reality is it’s rare.

Instead, consumers talk about the softness of bread, the flakiness of pastries, and the chewiness of cookies, highlighting how people automatically relate the texture of baked goods to their freshness and quality.

This behaviour is backed by the results of a global consumer survey conducted by Taste Tomorrow which found that 72% of consumers globally enjoy trying foods with different textures, with nearly half prioritising texture over ingredients when deciding what to buy.

Among millennials, that influence is reportedly even stronger, with 68% saying texture directly impacts their choices.

That’s why, within the highly competitive baked goods market, pastries that aren’t as buttery and flaky as alternative brands, or loaves of bread that miss the mark in terms of their crustiness, can have a detrimental impact on brand perception.

The pressure on commercial bakeries to achieve the perfect texture is also compounded by an increase in consumer demand for baked goods with fewer additives and more plant-based options - all of which can alter the fundamental structure of these items.

This is where quantification enters the picture.

By measuring the physical parameters that create a given texture, producers can not only ensure consistency but also intentionally design mouthfeel and the human tasting experience.

The science behind 'soft', 'airy', and 'chewy'

The production of baked goods that are soft, airy, or chewy is no happy accident.

It’s the result of a series of intentional decisions regarding the types of ingredients and their quantities.

For instance, opting for a high-protein flour usually creates a robust bread structure, whereas flour with a lower protein content is more tender.

These sensory descriptors correlate precisely with specific scientific measures. For example,

• Softness relates to elastic modulus — a measure of a material’s stiffness and its elastic resistance to under pressure

• Airiness relates to porosity – a measure of cell uniformity and the amount of air within the crumb structure.

• Chewiness relates to crumb resilience – a measure of how quickly the baked good can spring back to its original shape after being compressed.

Where the human palate identifies freshness and quality, these scientific instruments perceive quantifiable metrics.

And with tools like C-Cell baking quality analyser, bakers can now visualise and measure those metrics with exceptional precision.

Where the role of quantification methods and digital twins fits in

On top of utilising quantification methods to develop the most satisfying and practical baked good textures, this approach also opens the door to predictive modelling.

By digitising texture parameters, they can be fed into digital twins – a type of virtual model of baking processes that simulate how formulation or process changes will affect the final texture and mouthfeel of the baked good.

Within these digital environments, bakers can easily adjust a wide range of variables like water absorption, mixing time, or proofing conditions and then accurately predict how those changes will affect the finished product’s structure and sensory qualities.

Essentially, this capability allows manufacturers to build predictive models that dramatically shorten development cycles and minimise waste by reducing the need for repeated trial-and-error testing. It also supports consistent quality by benchmarking every batch against a data-defined ‘ideal’ profile.

The result is faster innovation and closer consumer alignment, ensuring technologies like the C-Cell baking analyser tool continue to drive truly intelligent, precise baking.

Is science the entire future of baking? Not quite.

Even with the most advanced measurement technologies, the artistry of baking remains indispensable.

While the objective, measurable data derived from baking analysis tools like C-Cell can be invaluable for defining the exact degree of ‘softness’, ‘airiness’, or ‘chewiness’ for a baked product, it’s up to real bakers to decide exactly how soft, airy, or chewy is right for a particular brand or market.

Essentially, these tools are designed to support the baker’s human intuition and creativity, helping them to develop baked goods that are emotionally satisfying and technically perfect.

To find out how C-Cell baking analysis can help your bakery to achieve the desired texture for all your baked goods, speak to our professional team today.

From mill to oven: Traceability and ingredient provenance in quality assurance

In line with the growing demand for clean-label foods and transparent supply chains, consumers are now paying closer attention to what goes into their products.

This shift is most obvious in supermarkets where brands like M&S have responded by creating an ‘Only... Ingredients’ range composed of food items that use a maximum of just six ingredients.

But it’s not just about short and simple ingredient lists; modern consumers also want to know the origin of those ingredients - whether they are ethically sourced, sustainably produced, and traceable across the supply chain.

For commercial bakers, this shift in focus towards ingredient traceability and provenance presents both a challenges and an opportunity.

Why modern consumers care about food origins

Before we explore how bakers can respond to changing consumer attitudes, it’s worth understanding why it’s happening.

Between social media, insightful documentaries and broader news coverage, awareness of the environmental, ethical, and social impact of food has risen dramatically.

Many people now consider not only what’s in their food, but also where it comes from, how it was produced, and the carbon footprint of it arriving on their plate.

Research conducted by RSPCA Assured reportedly found that 70% of UK adults were concerned about the origins of the food they eat, while 76% of European respondents said they would like food product labels to show their carbon footprint, according to a European IPSOS survey.

This has made previously niche concerns over sustainability, ethical sourcing, and transparency, into mainstream expectations. Whether consumers want to support local farmers or reduce their carbon footprint, they’re actively searching for ingredients that have been sourced responsibly and traceably.

However, putting ingredient provenance and traceability at the heart of quality assurance, requires commercial bakers to consider and manage the implications carefully.

Navigating the challenges of ingredient variation

With consumers not just demanding, but expecting food simplicity, transparency, and provenance as standard, commercial bakers face the significant challenge of ingredient variation.

This is because even the smallest of ingredient differences can have a substantial impact on product quality, consistency, and production efficiency.

Flour, for example, has variations even between batches typically caused by differences in wheat variety, protein content, or moisture levels.

Similarly, switching between enzyme suppliers can also result in subtle changes to dough handling, rise times, or shelf-life, while trace impurities such as residual bran can influence colour, taste, and product stability.

Adding regional sourcing differences and supply chain fluctuation into the mix, these variations are inevitable.

Without careful monitoring, this can have a ‘trickle down’ effect, impacting dough strength, fermentation, and other critical baking processes.

The result? An increase in waste, challenges maintaining certifications or meeting strict quality standards, reduced consumer confidence, damaged brand reputation, and inconsistent baked goods’ quality, texture, and appearance.

For bakers, meeting consumer expectations for reliability, provenance, and transparency requires not only tracking where ingredients come from but also understanding how each batch will behave in production.

This is where accurate, real-time measurement tools, such as the C-Cell baking quality analyser, become essential.

These tools can detect subtle shifts in flour performance, giving bakers the insight they need to validate and, if necessary, adapt to changing ingredient sources, ensuring consistent product quality while meeting shifting consumer expectations.

Leveraging traceability systems to ensure consistency

Pairing real-time measurement tools like the C-Cell analyser with robust traceability systems offers the most effective protection against inconsistency.

Digital technologies such as blockchain (a type of digital ledger), IoT sensors, and QR codes enable producers to track ingredients throughout the supply chain, offering visibility at every step of production.

By knowing exactly where ingredients come from, bakers can demonstrate that their products meet ethical, environmental, and quality standards, supporting consumer trust.

While blockchain systems can record each batch of flour, linking it to the supplier, harvest date, and milling process, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors can monitor storage conditions and transport environments in real time.

Combined, these technologies generate actionable data, allowing producers to spot and correct deviations in ingredient quality before they affect the final product, promoting more consistent outcomes.

Building business credibility with certifications and audits

The outcome is not just baked goods of a consistent quality, but also auditable proof of ingredient provenance and quality which is critical for certifications, audits, and consumer-facing transparency initiatives.

Traceability systems and real-time measurement tools also provide verifiable data for audits, supporting certifications such as organic, non-GMO, or Fair Trade.

Ultimately, this helps producers to demonstrate that their ingredients and processes align with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards.

For example, the UK Government has set a 2050 net-zero target that is putting increasing pressure on businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and embrace more sustainable practices.

And for consumers, being transparent about these practices builds trust.

When brands can prove where ingredients come from, how they were processed, and that quality is consistently maintained, it reassures buyers that the products they purchase are ethically sourced, sustainably produced, and reliable.

From traceability to strengthened consumer trust

To meet consumers’ evolving expectations without compromising on consistency or quality, bakers must learn how to navigate ingredient variability, implement robust traceability systems, and leverage precise measurement tools like the C-Cell baking quality analyser.

Only then can bakers provide complete quality assurance and start to build long-lasting consumer trust.

To learn more about how the C-Cell baking analysis system can help your brand to stand out from the crowd, talk to our expert technical team today.

Christmas 2025 - Important Dates

Order Dates & Information

The C-Cell office will close for the Christmas break from Tuesday, 23rd December and reopen at 8.30 am on Friday, 2nd January 2025. 

Please also note, the office will be closed on Friday, 12th December for our annual Christmas celebration, but will re-open as usual on Monday, 15th December.

Last shipping date for items held in stock is Monday 22nd December (noon).

If you have any questions please feel free to call us on (+44) 1925 860401 or email info@bakingqualityanalyser.com

Merry Christmas from all the staff at C-Cell. We would like to thank you for your continued support during 2025.

We wish you all the best for 2026.

What equipment is used in a commercial bakery?

In a commercial bakery, selecting the right equipment ensures the production of consistent and high-quality products.

Doing so also streamlines the production process, permitting commercial bakeries to cater for the needs of the consumer.

Reliable equipment also allows commercial bakeries to produce a wide variety of products from bread and pastries to cakes and cookies.

What is commercial baking?

Commercial baking is the large-scale manufacture of bakery products to be outsourced to other businesses.

Commercial bakers, often referred to as wholesale bakers, are tasked with producing baked goods such as bread, cakes, and pastries.

They usually cater to businesses such as restaurants and coffee shops that have opted not to make food in-house.

These businesses will place bulk orders with a commercial baker, who will work hard to meet their requirements.

For this task, commercial bakers rely heavily on commercial bakery equipment to mix ingredients, shape the products, and test their quality so they’re fit for consumption.

Given commercial bakeries operate on a large-scale, with high-volume production, carefully choosing the right equipment is essential.

This pressure isn't as intense for retail bakeries because they make baked goods for individual consumers on a smaller scale.

What are the different stages of commercial baking?

One of the first stages of commercial baking is preparing and measuring the ingredients.

Depending on the product being made, there will be different ingredients such as flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

These need to be measured to ensure that every food product is consistent.

If ingredients are not the same in every batch in terms of quantity or type, this can lead to complaints from consumers with expectations they expect to be met.

When ingredients are collected and measured, they will need to be mixed to create a dough or batter.

In the case of dough, it will be left to rest and rise, according to what type of product is being made. Once left to rest, it’s fit to be shaped into various food products such as loaves or rolls.

At this stage, the role of commercial bakery equipment is crucial as it helps commercial bakeries to create identical-looking food products.

After the shaping stage, the dough is proofed. This is when the dough rests to permit yeast to produce carbon dioxide.

Proofing is necessary for achieving the correct texture and structure in a baked good by making it light instead of stodgy.

The shaped dough will then be put into large ovens for baking.

Commercial ovens tend to be much larger than those used in independent bakeries to accommodate baking multiple batches at the one time. For example, commercial ovens will have many trays or racks instead of a few.

During baking, commercial bakers will keep an eye on the temperature, humidity, and baking time to guarantee consistent results.

Occasionally, they may add visual designs or glazes on their food products to enhance taste.

After the food products are baked properly, they are left to cool on racks before being packaged, sealed, and sent away.

Packaging in commercial bakeries is not done manually, but with automated machines as this streamlines the process of packing and labelling.

It's important to note that an assessment of the finished products is conducted before they are distributed.

This is when commercial bakers will check the texture, taste and appearance of their products. In independent bakeries, these products may be tested by relying on senses.

However, commercial baker will rely on commercial baking equipment to test the quality of their products as this is a much more reliable way of ensuring their products are up to standard.

What equipment is needed for a commercial bakery?

There are various pieces of equipment needed in a commercial bakery for every stage of the baking process.

First, an oven is the centrepiece of any commercial bakery because it allows ingredients to be baked into a food item that can be sold on.

As these ovens are bought to accommodate large quantities of food products, they are much bigger than regular ovens purchased for domestic use.

Although many casual, or independent, bakers rely on manpower and a wooden spoon to mix their ingredients, this is not possible in a commercial bakery as it would take up too much time.

That’s why commercial bakeries use mixers that saves time and effort. They can be used for a variety of purposes, including kneading bread dough and mixing cake batter.

Commercial bakeries rely on refrigerators to store ingredients such as eggs, milk and butter.

As there are so many ingredients to store, many commercial bakeries have walk-in refrigerators. These can also be used for chilling or setting a mixture of ingredients before going into the oven.

Of course, a proofing cabinet is also a staple in any commercial baker as it provides the perfect environment for dough to rise before baking as it keeps the temperature and humidity levels consistent.

It guarantees proper fermentation, allowing the dough to develop flavour and become the right texture.

Other equipment used in commercial bakeries includes measuring cups, mixing bowls, spatulas and whisks. These are necessary for precise measurements, mixing ingredients and creating batters and doughs.

How can you conduct quality testing in commercial bakeries

Quality control in commercial bakeries is crucial for ensuring that food products meet specific quality standards and regulatory requirements before they are released to the market.

It involves monitoring and testing raw materials, production processes, and finished products to ensure they meet certain specifications and are safe for consumption.

Quality control plays a vital role in maintaining safe, high-quality food products which can be achieved by using reliable and best-in-class equipment.

Supplied by Calibre Control, the C-Cell is a high quality, specialised tool used across the food industry on a global scale.

It’s the perfect piece of equipment for testing the quality of baked goods.

Using digital imaging, it can take an objective measurement of the structure and consistency of baked goods.

Whether it’s a sliced section of bread, or a cake product, it has the technology and ability to digitally analyse the image for critical attributes including cell size, structure and uniformity.

Using the Lab* format, the C-Cell can assess the colour of the crumb and crust of a loaf of bread.

It also employs bread scoring to collate accurate results, regardless of site or circumstances by displaying measurements and test results to provide results as part of a bread scoring system.

The C-Cell also has commendable features such as being able to separate inclusions such as red cherries from the background crumb colour.

When this is identified, it can quantify number, area, and exact location within the slice.

It can also measure a sample product's external features, such as seeds on top of a roll or surfaces cracking on buns.

This comprehensive analysis helps showcase the impact of even slight alterations in processes, production or ingredients on the structure of bread or baked goods.

By permitting an objective and comprehensive analysis, C-Cell helps bakeries maintain high standards of quality and consistency in their products.

The C-Cell and C-Cell Advanced are digital imaging systems used for analysing baked products.

The Mono version captures a single image and measures 48 parameters related to size, shape, and internal structure.

The Colour version, in addition to the Mono features, captures a double image and measures 60 parameters, including colour information for the crumb and crust.

Contact Calibre Control for commercial bakery equipment

At Calibre Control, we believe that investing in high-quality equipment pays off in the long run, ensuring consistent results and customer satisfaction.

We’re passionate about helping bakers of any kind to enhance their processes and create consistently good food products.

Our equipment ensures that bakeries have top-quality ingredients that can be used to make consistent food products.

We also help you to achieve mould-free and structural shelf-life for baked goods.

Our equipment minimises mould growth by controlling water activity and pH levels.

Consistent ingredients maintain product quality even during formulation changes or supplier switches.

We use near-infrared analysis (NIR) to perform in-line testing during baking. This ensures ingredient consistency and helps maintain product quality.

If you want more information on our range of solutions, call us by dialling +44 (0) 1925 860 401 or email us at info@calibrecontrol.com

What is the structure of bread?

What is the right structure of bread?

The structure of bread refers to its composition and the elements which makeup this food product. There are many elements which contribute to the right structure of bread. Firstly, having the right ingredients for your bread is important for having the right structure of bread. Bread typically comprises at least 4 essential ingredients. Flour provides the structure and texture of the bread. Water hydrates the flour and activates the yeast. Yeast leavens the bread by producing carbon dioxide gas during fermentation. Salt enhances flavours and regulates yeast activity. Some other types of bread may contain additional ingredients like fat, eggs, milk and sugar.

However, the texture of bread is also incredibly important as it contributes to the perfect bread structure. The texture is largely influenced by the types of ingredients and their quantities. For example, flour composition and the type of flour can have a huge impact on bread texture and therefore the structure of the loaf. Flour with a high-protein content usually creates a robust structure, whereas flour with a lower protein content is more tender.

The fermentation process is also important when considering the structure of bread as yeast and bacteria play a huge role in bread texture. The time it takes as well as the methods during the fermentation process largely determines whether the bread turns out to be light and fluffy or dense.

The dough hydration can also play a role in creating the perfect bread structure as water content ensures that a loaf of bread is properly sculpted. In this way, the right bread structure is one that perfectly balances a crispy crust and a crumb moisture. Getting the perfect bread structure is not just about baking, it is a thorough process that entails a high level of understanding and precision.

Why is the structure of bread important?

The importance of bread structure goes beyond just the visual appearance of bread. Bread structure impacts the overall quality, taste, and experience of consuming bread. In terms of texture, the structure of bread can determine whether the loaf is light and fluffy or dense and chewy. This can have a huge impact for the food manufacturer in terms of consistently as consumers expect bread to be at a certain level of quality.

Having the correct bread structure ensures that the bread rises evenly when it is baking. When a loaf rises properly, it will lead to a lofty loaf that is properly proportioned. If it does not rise properly, the loaf will turn out to be flat and dense, without the proper volume. The right bread structure can be achieved through fermentation, proofing and shaping.

Having the correct bread structure is also important as it facilitates the addition of toppings. Many people who purchase a loaf of bread are prone to adding toppings such as butter or avocado. If the structure of bread is correct, the load can hold the toppings without collapsing. There is also a chance that if the bread structure is not correct, the bread will become soggy.

Furthermore, properly structured bread traps air pockets within the crumb. These pockets make the bread taste better as it helps to retain moisture. A well-aerated structure keeps the bread from becoming too dry. A well-structured loaf with a golden crust and a good crumb is also a better product for consumers, encouraging repeat purchases.

Does the structure of bread affect quality?

The structure of bread significantly impacts its overall quality as it can determine whether bread feels light and airy or dense and chewy. This can ensure better success for the loaf in the marketplace as well as for the food manufacturer as the bread tastes better.

There is a huge difference between a poorly structured loaf and bread that has a proper structure in terms of taste as it can determine whether it is crispy and tender or soggy, especially if toppings are added on.

Without correct bread structure, the loaf of bread is also unable to achieve the correct volume, meaning that it will look worse than other loaves on the market. As the structure of bread has a direct correlation to the visual appearance of the loaf, having a good bread structure will also enhance its attractiveness to consumers and therefore the perception of quality.

How to test the internal structure of bread

Testing the internal structure of bread is imperative for guaranteeing quality and consistency. To test the internal structure of bread, you can conduct crumb analysis which visually quantifies the sliced surface area of a baked product, with a specific focus on the bread's internal cellular structure. Crumb analysis can give us crucial information on the texture and sensory qualities of the loaf. It takes into consideration the internal cell shape, cell size, cell wall thickness, porosity and colour.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) can also be used to assess the composition and properties of bread. It uses light which interacts with the bread's molecules, either reflecting, transmitting or absorbing. This can reveal crucial details about the structure of bread.

Thankfully, nowadays there are tools and equipment such as those provided by Calibre Control that can streamline and simplify the process of assessing the structure of bread.

How C-Cell can help test the structure of bread

The C-Cell is an entry-level digital imaging system designed for evaluating bread and baked products. It captures images of baked food samples and provides detailed, objective, and easy-to-interpret data. Users can assess internal structure, external features, and other quality attributes using this instrument.

The C-Cell Advanced uses a bread scoring system to give us accurate results. It quantifies various quality parameters, enabling users to score against your quality targets. Some of the quality attributes it tests include internal structure, external features, number of cells, net cell elongation, non-uniformity, cell diameter, bread crumb color (Lab*), bread scoring and internal inclusion analysis. It can be used with a myriad of bakery products, including bread, cake, biscuits, snack food, and aerated products.

Contact Calibre Control

At Calibre Control, we believe in helping bakers to enhance their processes and create consistently high quality bread. So, if you want to get more information on our range of solutions, phone us on +44 (0) 1925 860 401 or email us at info@calibrecontrol.com.

What affects the quality of baked goods?

Quality control guarantees that food products are consistent, and there are no discrepancies between batches.

That is as important for the quality of baked goods as it is other products.

The process of quality control can include assessing the risk of chemical, physical, or microbial contamination as well as that from allergens.

Food that adheres to the relevant quality standards will be produced in a hygienic environment with the correct ingredients and minimal processing.

This is important for the consumer, who will be protected against food-borne illnesses and other contaminants.

Quality control also covers consistency in taste, texture and appearance, which combine to enhance consumer confidence and loyalty.

For that reason, the process of quality control should be followed closely,

What affects the quality of baked goods?

The quality of baked goods can be influenced by a several factors.

First, because every baked product is comprised of multiple ingredients, it’s important for manufacturers to pay attention not just to the quantity of the ingredients used but also their quality.

Flour is a good example. Its quality matters because yeast-leavened bread products require flour with a medium to high protein content.

There also needs to be an appropriate combination and balance of ingredients, with an optimised baking process which determines bread’s overall quality.

The dough structure is important too in a slice of bread because it must have both elasticity and extensibility.

The way that food producers store their food products also has an impact on the overall quality of baked goods.

For example, if they’re stored properly, it can ensure they remain edible for a longer period. If they aren't stored appropriately, it can have a negative effect on shelf-life.

If recommended storage instructions are not followed, there’s a risk of physicochemical and microbiological deterioration.

The equipment used when fusing together the ingredients to make baked goods can also make a difference to the overall quality of the product.

For instance, equipment that is faulty or in poor working condition – like damaged cake moulds – can alter the shape of the finished product.

Similarly, ovens that aren’t functioning as they should can result in baked goods that are undercooked or products that are inconsistent or uneven.

This may be particularly detrimental for bread and other baked goods products that need the optimal conditions to rise.

Every baking space also needs to have solid sanitation and hygiene practices to ensure a clean and safe environment.

This will produce edible and high-quality baked goods that are free from contaminants and safe for public consumption.

Poor cleanliness in a baking environment can heighten the risk of allergen cross contamination between baked good products.

Not only does this mean that the quality of the baked good item won't be up to scratch, but it can also put consumers in danger who have an allergy to ingredients like sesame seeds, wheat, egg, milk, nuts and other commonly used baking elements.

Staff working in a food manufacturing environment can also impact the quality of baked goods.

If team members are trained appropriately and possess the requisite knowledge of the baking process, they’re less likely to make critical mistakes that compromise the quality of the baked good items they produce.

Why is it important to quality test baked goods?

Quality testing for baked goods is vital for many reasons, both for food manufacturers and for consumers.

First, quality testing ensures that baked goods are consistent in taste, texture, and appearance. This is important as customers expect a consistent product every time they buy an item.

It also helps guarantee that the baked goods are safe for consumption as they will undergo tests for contaminants which adhere to food safety standards.

Quality testing can contribute to accelerated product development because it facilitates better comprehension of how alterations in ingredients or processes affect the final product.

It allows bakeries to enhance and improve their recipes, which makes for a better overall baked product.

The quality of baked products is also directly correlated to a brand's reputation, and consistent high-quality products reduce the likelihood of negative feedback.

Indeed, if the quality meet or even exceeds expectation, consumers are more likely leave a good review, thus enhancing a brand’s reputation.

In the bigger picture, this can contribute to increased sales through repeat custom, helping to maximise profit and keep manufacturers ahead of competitors.

How to quality test for baked goods

Quality testing for baked goods involves several steps to ensure the quality, consistency, and safety of the products.

First, it’s important to set specifications for each ingredient based on its chemical compensation, nature, and technological functionality.

Next, perform standardised tests on the ingredients and the final baked item.

This stage also entails analysing the samples, which provides details about the contents and any contaminants present.

Comparisons should be made between results, set against a standard or expected property value.

Baking tests will also be necessary, which includes assessing gassing power, gas retention, mixing tolerance or stability, and water absorption.

Once a comparative analysis is carried out, you’ll need to make an assessment of the finished products. This means determining the load volume, texture, and crumb grain structure.

Small production runs may be useful, whereby the formulation is adjusted and processed in small batches.

Quality testing also entails conducting sensory evaluation of the baked goods.

Carrying out quality testing helps to ensure the baked good items meet the desired quality standards and are safe for consumption.

What does C-Cell test for?

Supplied exclusively by Calibre Control, C-Cell is a specialised tool used across the food industry on a global scale.

It’s the perfect piece of equipment for testing the quality of baked goods.

Using digital imaging, it takes an objective measurement of the structure and consistency of an item – whether that’s a sliced section of bread or a cake product – and includes the capability to analyse an image for critical attributes including cell size, structure and uniformity.

Using the Lab* format, C-Cell assesses the colour of the crumb and crust of a loaf of bread.

C-Cell can also separate inclusions, such as red cherries, from the background crumb colour.

When this is identified, it can quantify number, area, and exact location within the slice.

It can also measure a sample product's external features, such as seeds on top of a roll or surfaces cracking on buns.

The results that can be achieved with the C-Cell are bountiful with more than 50 different quality results across a wide range of bakery products.

This comprehensive analysis helps showcase the impact of even slight alterations in processes, production or ingredients on the structure of bread or baked goods.

By permitting an objective and comprehensive analysis, C-Cell helps bakeries maintain quality and consistency in their products.

The C-Cell and C-Cell Advanced are digital imaging systems used for analysing baked products.

The Mono version captures a single image and measures 48 parameters related to size, shape, and internal structure.

The Colour version, in addition to the Mono features, captures a double image and measures 60 parameters, including colour information for the crumb and crust.

If you need help with quality testing and want to find out more about our high-quality equipment such as the C-Cell, it’s easy to get in touch.

You can contact our team by phoning us on +44 (0) 1925 860 401 or send an email to info@calibrecontrol.com

Alternatively, you can complete a contact form on our website. Include your name, company, country, email address, and a brief message, and a team member will reply as soon as possible.

How to Reduce Wastage in a Bakery: A Manufacturer’s Guide

Food waste of any kind has financial, ethical, and environmental implications for individuals, businesses, and communities.

With the introduction of ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation in the UK in 2025, there’s now a legal impact as well with a greater onus on bakeries and suppliers of bakery products to monitor their bakery waste management.

So, how to reduce waste in a bakery?

What is bakery wastage?

Bakery wastage can be broken down into two categories: bakery waste and bakery surplus.

Waste occurs when bakery quality control results in food products or ingredients being deemed unusable.

This could be because the ingredients or products are found to be sub-standard on key bakery quality control measures, or because the bakery products did not meet the brief of the customer (be that the final consumer or the retailer of bakery products).

Bakery surplus occurs when more bakery items are produced than sold.

Sound bakery waste management can minimise bakery surplus, and wastage at the source and is a principal factor in how to reduce waste in a bakery.

How much can waste cost bakery businesses?

It’s estimated that in the UK alone, 9.52 million tonnes of food is wasted each year, with bread accounting for 900,000 tonnes of that wastage at both production and consumer levels.

How much can waste cost bakery businesses? It’s not difficult for a bakery to monitor and quantify the financial cost of bakery waste on site.

What’s more difficult to quantify, is the cost to reputation and future sales if the bakery waste occurs further down the supply chain.

Add to that the cost of disposing of food waste and your bakery is losing in areas it does not need to.

Bakery waste management is crucial for improving the financial, environmental, social, and now legal impact of bakery quality control.

How to minimise bakery wastage

With so much at stake, bakeries need to be tackling how to reduce waste in a bakery.

While there are creative and valuable ways bakeries can redistribute bakery surplus, such as Too Good To Go, how much better to simply minimise bakery waste before it occurs.

Sound bakery waste management requires an understanding of where the wastage is coming from.

European studies suggest that the primary culprit of bakery wastage is in the ingredient phase of production (particularly the cultivation of wheat and rye).

Commercial bakery control then must involve the monitoring of quality of the ingredients going into every batch produced. No bakery wants to discover post bake, that their ingredients affected the quality of the bake.

Fortunately, bakers no longer have to rely solely on subjective sensory observations of ingredients and products for bakery quality control.

Imagine the difference to your commercial bakery control to have the on-site tools and expertise to analyse ingredients pre-bake including for moisture content, and contaminants ensuring you can receive quantifiable, objective data on that ingredient batch.

Follow that up with a test bake and your bakery has a ‘bread score’ breaking down the external features and internal structure of each sample.

Can you see how that level of objective measurement would improve bakery quality control and be a key driver in how to reduce waste in a bakery?

How C-Cell can help reduce bakery wastage

C-Cell puts that level of baking quality control into your business, giving you quantifiable data on which to make choices for every batch, improving quality, satisfaction, profitability, and minimising bakery wastage.

It’s an efficient, technological solution that’s user friendly, and a valued tool for ingredient analysis, test baking, flour milling, and research & development.

C-Cell baking quality analyser has a three-step process of taking an image, analysing, and quantifying the data.

Analysing ingredients against permissible contaminant levels with C-Cell helps reduce bakery wastage. It enables bakers and other bakery manufacturers to see how modifying certain ingredients will affect baking outcomes enabling them to refine and improve products during production.

Having objective real-time data in the hands of your bakers or research developers ensures any inconsistencies that could lead to a failed bake, or diminished quality, are identified early rather than once valuable resources have been wasted.

C-Cell takes commercial bakery control to new heights, enabling bakeries to concentrate on producing quality bakery products secure in the knowledge they have quantifiable data driving their bakery waste management.

Contact Calibre Control to learn more about baking quality control and analysis.

How is flour manufactured in the UK

Whichever part of the supply chain you operate, food quality control is one of the most important facets for the financial success and long-term reputation of your business.

Savvy business owners want quantifiable evidence of the quality of their product in real time, not only to satisfy legal requirements but also meaning adjustments can be made efficiently when needed and competitive advantage can be maintained.

What is flour made of?

First, how is flour made?

Wheat and other grains are processed to produce flour. There are ‘three components of a wheat seed; the white endosperm, the outer bran layers, and the wheat germ.’

The way wheat (or other grain) is processed to become flour is called milling.

How much each of these three components of the grain are retained in the flour is important both for quality control and classification of the flour, such as white flour, brown flour, or wholemeal flour.

How is flour milled in the UK?

Today most flour in the UK is milled in flour mills with precise machinery aimed at ensuring consistent food quality control.

Successful mills are concerned with optimising quality control in manufacturing, and many flour mills use a quality analyser such as C-Cell to test bake their daily production, ensuring they’re compliant both with industry regulations and baker expectations.

The importance of quality control in flour milling

Why is quality control so important in flour milling?

Considering the end use of flour is for human consumption, it’s highly regulated to ensure quality control in the food industry.

While the baked goods we consume may be considered artisan, the flour used in them is a biological material subject to variations that can affect both the safety and performance of the baked goods.

As a result, food quality control in flour milling is a legislative requirement and part of cereal science.

Food quality control in flour milling is imperative for consistency in the taste and quality of the product, and for the profit and reputation of each provider along the supply chain.

That includes the grain producer, miller, baker, and retailer. Food quality control in manufacturing in flour milling is crucial and can easily be monitored and ensured by a baked quality analyser.

What is the purpose of quality control flour tests?

As already illustrated, quality control in the food industry is fundamental to customer satisfaction and success along the supply chain.

Quality control flour tests are an efficient way to obtain objective and quantifiable information on key features of the raw materials, and how they interact in manufacturing processes.

Traditionally, millers and bakers needed to rely on subjective sensory cues to determine quality control in the food industry.

With baking quality analysers such as C-Cell Colour, millers can now get objective data after each mill process to ensure the flour meets expected standards on a range of parameters.

If the quality is lacking, it can be assessed immediately and addressed in an efficient manner without undue loss of product, profit, and reputation at any point in the supply chain.

What factors affect flour quality?

As a biological material, flour can be affected by a range of factors including:

• Moisture content
• Particle size
• Ash content (which can indicate bran contaminant)
• Germination
• Protein degradation (which may indicate cereal bug infestation)

There are industry standards dictating acceptable levels on these parameters, and the discerning food manufacturer will be looking to optimise quality control in manufacturing to ensure a superior product and a competitive edge.

How is quality control implemented?

Food quality control begins with reliable and objective data at a raw material level and the way those materials respond in manufacturing processes to produce a quality food product.

The baking analyser C-Cell Colour uses a three-step process whereby the analyser takes an image of the product, which is analysed across a range of parameters and then quantified.

The data is quickly available, and feedback can be given to the grain supplier on the quality of their grain, which is valuable in terms of research and development ensuring quality control in the food industry.

Likewise, to the miller in terms of their manufacturing systems and processes, and the baker regarding any inclusions and cooking processes they observe.

How can C-Cell assist in flour quality control?

Calibre Control’s C-Cell Colour is an advanced technological baking analyser providing quality control solutions for your industry in a user friendly, efficient, and reliable tool.

Contact us today to seal your business’ quality and competitive edge.

How C-Cell can be used in the baking sector

Baking quality is essential for suppliers when it comes to maintaining business performance and supply chain efficiency.

Customers need to be assured that goods are delicious and nutritious every time they buy them. They do not want the product to be inconsistent in any way, be that taste, size, or nutritional qualities.

The question is, how can this consistency be achieved? One answer is; C-Cell.

What is C-Cell?

C-Cell is a quality analyser that takes a detailed look at any sample of baked product.

Whether it’s a slice of bread, pastry, or cake, it uses a versatile lighting and a high-fidelity colour imager, to assess the specifics of the bake.

This is a sophisticated piece of machinery that measures more than 50 different elements of bakery products. That could be internal structure or slice shape measurements, or complex bread scoring and internal feature analysis.

From there, the information is categorised into:

• Size and Shape
• Cell numbers
• Cell orientation and colour

Unlike traditional bread scoring, this isn’t reliant on subjective, sensory impressions, but on multiple measurements taken from precise image analysis.

• Colour analysis - this is based on the Lab* colour space, an international standard that uses numerical scales for objective colour values.
• Quality - It analyses markers of quality such as cell elongation patterns, tunnelling in cakes, uncooked dough, surface cracking, and more.
• Dimensions - the dimensions of the loaded sample, such as height, width, and diameter, as well as the numbers and dimensions of inclusions like chocolate chips and berries are accurately measured.
• Batch analysis and consistent scoring using set parameters.

C-Cell provides a scientific, unbiased method of testing quality and measuring the various impacts of changes to the production process.

What is C-Cell used for?

C-Cell’s overarching function is to improve quality control in the baking industry.

It ensures that when a customer selects a product from the shelves of their grocery store, they can be confident that, for example, the loaf, packet of biscuits or tortillas they have bought will be the same baking quality as any they bought previously.

The way it does this is by analysing features of the bake. These include:

Cells

Cells manifest themselves when baking powder reacts in the dough of bakes like cakes and bread, aerating the mixture and giving it that all-important lightness when cooked. These air pockets are key to the bake in many subtle, but vital, ways and measuring them can reveal essential details concerning the performance of the dough. When there are insufficient cells, the result will be a flat, sunken bake lacking in texture or taste. It can work the other way too. If there are too many then there will be thin cell walls, and this will reduce the overall volume of bread or cake creating an insubstantial and therefore unsatisfactory product.

Inclusions

Many cakes and bakes derive their flavour and uniqueness from ingredients like dried fruits, chocolate chips or seeds. These “inclusions” need to be evenly spaced and a consistent number (anyone who has made their own cakes only to find that all the fruits have sunk to the bottom will understand the frustration of this, so imagine if this happened on a wider scale). C-Cell can count the inclusions in a sample and produce a graphically overlaid image that highlights their locations, shapes, and sizes.

Dimensions

C-Cell can quickly ascertain the specific measurements of a sample, from length and width to concavity, cell diameters, and cell wall thicknesses. These measurements can be batch measured to calculate averages and feed valuable data back into quality assurance, helping to establish tolerances and any lapses in overall quality. Inconsistency in baked goods is definitely undesirable. No one wants a sliced loaf where the slices are of different thicknesses, or lack of uniformity in packages that contain multiples of the same product.

External features

C-Cell measures even the most minute details of samples, like the number and concentration of seeds on burger buns and the cracks that naturally occur in biscuit dough as it bakes and hardens. These external features are often the first thing that a customer will notice when browsing baked goods, and though seemingly superficial, could be the first and only deciding factor in what they choose to buy. Therefore, they cannot be ruled out as an important marker of quality, and should be measured accordingly.

Crust analysis

Analysis of crumb is important for quantifying bread quality. Though the internal crumb constitutes much of the texture and taste, crust is important for appearance and the ‘finish’ of a loaf. C-Cell measures the thickness and lab* colour of bread crust to ensure the right level of quality is communicated through the external appearance of loaves.

Season harvest variations

When suppliers move from a previous year’s crop to the current season, this can cause some variation in products like flour. These changes can cause minor changes in the outcome of baked goods, such as colour and cells.

Keeping track of the in-depth effects of these variations is essential for maintaining baking quality.

How can C-Cell be used in the baking industry?

C-Cell is perfectly suited for maintaining baking quality, and it does this by using a combination of high-resolution images, powerful analysis, and accurate data consolidation for quantifying and reporting.

C-Cell’s operation can be thus distilled into a simple, three-step process: image, analyse, quantify.

Following this easy-to-follow path, bakeries can concentrate their quality control into a short and repeatable process with accurate results, needing only one point of analysis to unlock a wide range of data.

Why is it important to test quality in baking?

1. You can ensure that the quality of goods going to market is consistent.
2. It helps ongoing research and development into products. It can help in fine-tuning existing baking products or in launching new ones.
3. Various ingredient qualities can be tested using C-Cell and their effects on bakes can be objectively measured to ascertain best practice moving forward. The result is errors are reduced and the high-quality is translated into repeatable processes.

To find out more about C-Cell and how it is important for baking quality visit our website here.

How C-Cell helps analyse baked goods

For the food industry, baked goods product analysis has never been more important as it reveals a lot of information about the characteristics of food. In fact, we cannot underestimate the huge impact that food product analysis has had on enhancing the quality of the product to meet customer requirements.

For those producing baked goods many years ago, trying to outdo their competitors would have been extremely challenging as they had to rely on few resources to do so. In fact, the analysis of bread and other baked goods would have been conducted solely by a human panel which was subjective, expensive and it was a lengthy process. However, as photography and computer analysis have developed, larger bakeries have considered integrating more objective methods into their analysis processes. Nowadays, it is even easier to conduct food product analysis on an array of foods including baked goods as innovative technology has permitted analysis tools such as C-Cell to assist us.

What is C-Cell?

C-Cell is an advanced and dynamic machine owned and distributed by Calibre Control and it can be described as an analyser that is utilised to measure the quality of bakery products. These quality results range from internal structure and slice shape measurements to in-depth bread scoring and internal feature analysis. The results of these tests are easy to understand as they are segmented into categories such as size, shape, cell numbers, cell orientation and colour.

Furthermore, C-Cell is a product that caters to a myriad of companies on a global scale, including wheat breeders, flour millers, ingredient producers, snack food producers and chocolate producers. For wheat breeders, it allows them to test new varieties to assess the potential of new types of bread early on. This can help them not to fall behind in the baked goods market by avoiding sticking solely to a few types of bread. For flour millers, it allows them to ensure that the flour adheres to appropriate quality standards to cater to international guidelines.

Furthermore, bakers can use C-Cell to give them real time data which enables them to reassess the quality of their recipes. Ingredient suppliers can also avail of the tool to gather data in order to anticipate new developments and stay ahead of the curve. For those manufacturers of bakery tools and equipment, C-Cell can be critical in seeing the relationship between equipment design and the cellular structure of baked products. Lastly, for academics in the field of cereal science, the tool can be vital for propelling their research.

In terms of food testing, it also offers a glimpse into valuable process conditions as well as crumb structure. Crumb structure is a vital part of high quality baking, impacting those producing the bread by influencing the way a product appears, feels and tastes. Crumb structure can refer to the internal cell shape, the uniformity of the cells, the cells size and the thickness of the cell walls. Getting the crumb structure right is pivotal for a company's success, which can be achieved through accurate crumb analysis.

With C-Cell, a baked product slice can be examined using detailed crumb analysis permitting a view of the internal cellular structure of the sample. By using a baking quality analyser to assess crumb structure, companies are able to stay ahead of the competition as they don't have to rely on archaic methods of assessing the textural properties of baked goods such as sensory bread scoring which can be quite time-consuming.

How does C-Cell work?

Although it may seem complicated at first, the process of using C-Cell is actually incredibly straightforward. Firstly, you will be required to load a sample into the tray and close it. At this stage, it will trigger the C-Cell to capture a high-resolution digital image of the sample. This could be a slice of bread or a different type of baked good item which it will then analyse on a granular level by considering the colour, the number, the size of the cells or holes in and the dimensions of that slice etc.

The device captures two images of the sample at the same time in order to generate a depth of contrast and lighting that will provide a larger range and more in depth results. These images can also be examined on other devices as they can be transferred to those that are compatible with the machine. C-Cell also saves this data to a secure database and it facilitates the exporting of data in different formats, including reports and spreadsheets, which is a streamlined and convenient process.

Furthermore, the great thing about this modern method of analysis, is that you will be able to get a detailed data analysis on the screen in front of you with multiple measurements that are clear to see. The results that you get from quality testing and the analysis of bread and baked products are essential to meet food standards and to ensure consistent quality that adheres to consumers' expectations.

If you are testing crumb structure, you will avail of the digital imaging system to see the attributes of that crumb including internal structure, number of cells, cell diameter, net cell elongation, wall thickness, non-uniformity and Lab crumb colour. At this stage, you can also use the bread scoring function featured on the C-Cell baking analyser which allows bakeries to set target for themselves to enhance and improve their production processes for certain baked good items.

How does C-Cell analyse baked goods?

C-cell analysis entails considering over 48 parameters in each sample which can be configured to include a scoring system. The single-figure bread score will make it easy to comprehend how the bread measures up to your expectations.

The C-Cell enables the user to gain valuable, objective data for several critical parameters when it comes to analysing baked product quality, including softness, as the C-Cell can provide a texture profile analysis to characterise the softness of a sample. The C-Cell also gives indications on colour as it provides lab* colour results and data such as internal crumb colour, external crust colour and depth.

Furthermore, you can expect to get data on the dimensions of your sample including measurements relating to the sample's area, width and even optimum packaging dimensions. Of course, the C-Cell also provides information on the shape and visual appearance of the sample including concavity, oven spring and shoulder and bottom roundness.

Moulding performance data can also be seen with crumb cell elongation measurements offering a visual guide to axis of elongation. This will also reveal the level of curvature of the internal crumb structure and give information on the specific degree of circulation. We can also measure cell size, which will allow us to quantify holes, wall thickness, cell areas and volumes.

What are the benefits of using C-Cell?

C-Cell is a modern piece of equipment that has many impressive benefits, including making quality control more accessible for those involved in the production process in a bakery. Not only is C-Cell valuable for quality control, but it also helps to minimise human error and maximise production. By exposing minor issues and inconsistencies with products or highlighting instances where better ingredients need to be used, the results that the C-Cell offers are instrumental in ensuring baked good producers meet targets, optimising the baking process and ensuring a fully functional environment.

Moreover, quantifying cell data is inexorably tied to guaranteeing that consistency is maintained when a product is made, thus eliminating any waste. As quality control and research development is so important in commercial bakeries on a global scale, it is more crucial than ever that these bakeries rely on tools such as C-Cell to ensure they meet the worldwide standards.

More specifically, those bakeries carrying out crumb structure using the C-Cell are able to gather an in-depth look at the impact of wheat variety on baking quality, identify the effects of wheat and non-wheat components in bread as well as analyse the impact of dough conditioners and emulsifiers on the sensory qualities of bread.

All of this information in the form of objective results that are provided to these bakeries using the C-Cell can help them to excel, whether that is by rapidly detecting potential damage to baked goods to prevent waste, or allowing them to stay ahead of the curve and increase productivity.

As the advanced scoring system makes this device applicable for a myriad of products, it means that bakeries can use the one method of analysis for multiple baked good items thus enhancing the likelihood of them making improvements in production processes and developing their level of research in the future. As this useful information can be stored in the C-Cell archives, it is easy to go back and review your findings whenever you like without having to restart the entire process again.

Want more information?

For those wanting to avail of modern technology to completely transform the way baked good products are analysed, now is the time. With innovative devices such as C-Cell at your fingertips, there will be no limits to what you can achieve in the baked goods industry.

C-Cell is manufactured in the UK by Calibre Control International Ltd and is now used by many reputable bakeries. For more information about how to analyse baked goods using the C-Cell baking quality analyser and the benefits of doing so, contact us.

IBIE 2025

IBIE 2025 COMPLETE ✅

Thank you to everyone who helped make this years IBIE Vegas a huge success! From the customers who visited us, to our sales team running the stand, and our in-house logistics team for shipping our materials to the US 🇺🇸

All of the C-Cell team have really shown the true definition of team work 🙌

A huge credit to our sales team, for the fantastic pictures!

Why Not Test Your Luck In Vegas...

Why not test your luck in Vegas at booth 2054!

We are happy to share our exciting news with you all! 🤩

This year C-Cell will be hosting a competition at our IBIE booth. A simple spin of our giveaway wheel could have you winning a beats pill speaker! 🔈

Visit our booth during the show and enter our free competition!

We cannot wait to see you all! 👋

2025 Distributor Day Success ⭐️

A huge thank you to our global distributors from France, South Africa, China/Taiwan and Japan for joining us for our first C-Cell distributor day.

C-Cell is so grateful to have a very knowledgeable global distribution team representing our brand and product.

Thank you to the office staff who helped ensure a very smooth running of our Distributor Day, and defined the meaning of teamwork! 

The C-Cell sales team are now visiting IBA, Düsseldorf. We will be located in Hall 11, Stand C41, to talk about all things baking quality. Whether you're interested in analysing crumb structure, or just want to learn more about how C-Cell can support you and your business.

Easter 2025 Opening Hours

With Easter slowly creeping up on us, now is the perfect time to share our opening hours with you all.

The team will be available during normal hours on Thursday, 17th April and Tuesday, 22nd April.

If you have any questions regarding our hours over the Easter holidays, please contact us using 01925 860401 📞

CHRISTMAS 2024 - IMPORTANT DATES

Opening Hours

The C-Cell office will close for the Christmas break from Thursday 23rd December and reopen at 8.30am on Thursday 2nd January 2025. 

Please also note, the office will be closed from midday on Friday 13th December for our annual Christmas celebration, but will re-open as usual on Monday 16th December.

Order Dates & Information

Last order date for test kits that need to be ordered in is Friday 6th December (noon).

Last shipping date for items held in stock is Monday 23rd December (noon).

If you have any questions please feel free to call us on 01925 860401 or email info@bakingqualityanalyser.com

Merry Christmas from all the staff at C-Cell. We would like to thank you for your continued support during 2024.

We wish you all the best for 2025.

How are cakes produced commercially?

Cakes are a popular baked item produced for a wide array of consumers.

For those operating in the baked goods industry, the cake production process consists of several stages and results in high-quality, tasty products.

How are cakes produced commercially?

The commercial cake production process starts with making the cakes using ingredients such as flour, fat, eggs, sugar, flavourings, preservatives and raising agents.

At this stage, various methods are used to combine the ingredients.

For large-scale operations, a commercial mixer is used to mix the batter, meaning more cakes can be created.

Once the ingredients are combined properly, the mixture is placed carefully into a baking mould, which should be sprayed with oil so the finished product can be removed without sticking.

Unlike baking on a small scale, the moulds that are filled with mixture go through an automatic oven on a conveyor belt so that multiple mixtures can be sent through simultaneously, thus maximising the output of the operation.

During the baking process, temperature is monitored for consistency and quality purposes.

Once the cakes are baked, they will need to cool down so that they can bind together appropriately.

At this stage, suction pumps may be used to take away any moisture from the air that could cause condensation. In a commercial cake operation, cakes will never be packaged until they are cool as any warmth could make them collapse, which would result in wastage.

Commercial cakes usually have plastic packaging and may even have a tray underneath to support them when they are being delivered to various shops so that they can reach consumers in the best condition possible.

It’s important to note the length of the commercial cake production process will fluctuate according to the size of the cake as well as the efficiency of the process itself.

The importance of quality control in industrial bakeries

Quality control plays a huge role in guaranteeing that commercial bakeries produce consistently high quality and delicious baked goods that are safe to eat.

This is because regularly testing food products means there is less chance of contamination and other pollutants entering the food.

Quality control practices also ensure food manufacturers can adhere to relevant food safety regulations.

How to introduce quality control to the cake production process

Introducing quality control to the cake production process means implementing quality checks which allow food producers to regularly monitor the quality of their ingredients to maintain consistency.

Although this can be done by visually inspecting the food products, it’s better to use reliable and high-quality pieces of equipment like C-Cell that can give you accurate results.

How C-Cell can help test cake quality

Through objective analysis, measuring parameters, data production and improving bakes, C-Cell can be used by wheat breeders, ingredient producers, snack food producers, and chocolate producers to objectively assess product quality.

To learn more about the equipment we supply, get in touch either by phone on 01925 860 401 or fill out our contact form.

Quality Control in Food Manufacturing

With the food industry more competitive than ever, maintaining a high level of quality in food products has become a priority.

As a result, an emphasis has been placed on quality control in food manufacturing.

What is quality control?

In the context of food manufacturing, quality control is the process of monitoring food product quality at every level of the supply chain.

Quality control is a set of elements that work in conjunction with each other to ensure that food products are not only of a high quality, but also safe and consistent.

One of the initial steps of quality control is choosing ingredients and testing various approved suppliers to compare them. These ingredients should be selected in accordance with quality and safety and should adhere to global food standards.

Once ingredients are selected, high-quality control practices will see the food manufacturing process thoroughly documented and monitored. This means complying with the relevant safety guidelines and ensuring that consistency is maintained from the stage of picking out raw materials to the end product.

These ingredients should not just be considered for their quality but also checked for specific recipe composition percentages.

The testing stage is one of the most important points in the whole food manufacturing process.

This is when various physical, chemical and microbiological tests are conducted on the food products. It requires a range of devices and equipment, but may also entail visual inspections.

At this point, any issues apparent with the contents of the food products or their appearance can be identified and rectified.

Throughout this process, records will be kept of any changes that have been made at each stage as well as any test results, inspection reports and relevant notes.

These accounts are crucial later in the process if anything needs to be checked relating to the food product.

Why is quality control in food manufacturing so important?

Quality control in food manufacturing is important for various reasons.

First, food manufacturers can guarantee safe products that are free from any contaminants. Providing contaminant-free food is vital for consumers as they will be void of bacteria and other pathogens, meaning that they won't be at risk of any foodborne illnesses.

Furthermore, a high level of consistency can be achieved with quality control, which is essential for adhering to regulatory requirements and consumer needs.

Not only does this level of consistency create a reliable brand, but also forges better relationships with consumers who are more likely to make repeat purchases, thus boosting revenue.

In addition, as quality control helps enhance manufacturing processes, food manufacturers are able to implement early detection, resulting in higher quality outputs.

As food quality standards are implemented on a global scale, food manufacturers must measure up with the regulatory standards set by government agencies.

By following quality control processes, food manufacturers avoid coming into conflict with these bodies and avoid legal issues or fines.

On top of this, consistency is not only important across one batch of food products but across several.

Consumers tend to expect a certain level of quality from food products. If there are any discrepancies between these food products, it’s likely that the consumer's interest in the product will dwindle.

Additionally, if a company puts out food that is defective, it’s likely that they will be subjected to scrutiny and risk damage to its reputation.

By creating consistently good food products, companies are able to retain a loyal customer base and reduce the likelihood of sacrificing profit.

Moreover, it’s important to note that productivity and quality control are closely intertwined.

By assuring quality control in food manufacturing, not only will errors be detected early, but waste will also be reduced and productivity will be boosted, thus making the food manufacturing process more cost effective.

Are there laws governing quality control in food manufacturing?

There are specific laws and regulations that govern quality control in food manufacturing.

In the UK, the General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 is the main legislation that aims to safeguard human health and consumers’ interests with regards to food.

It’s mainly applicable from the initial stages of production to the processing and distribution of food.

It also outlines that food manufacturers must keep accounts of where their food has originated from, meet standards in terms of food presentation, and give any necessary information regarding the ingredients in food products. According to this set of rules, any food that is unsafe should immediately be recalled from the food marketplace to protect consumers.

Furthermore, The Food Safety Act 1990 is a UK food law that applies to England, Wales and Scotland.

The aim of this framework is to protect the safety of the consumer by requiring food manufacturers to ensure their food products are void of anything that could damage their health.

This also means asking food manufacturers to remove harmful contaminants from food.

How can C-Cell help with quality control in food manufacturing?

High-tech equipment such as the C-Cell is incredibly useful for enhancing quality control by providing quantifiable, objective data that can help maintain high standards in food manufacturing, specifically in the baked goods industry.

As an advanced digital imaging system, C-Cell is able to capture high-resolution colour images to analyse them for detailed, objective data. Not only does it provide reliable and repeatable analytical results, but it also leaves no room for human error.

This handy device is also able to facilitate taking measurements of a myriad of quality attributes such as internal structure, cell size, wall thickness, crumb colour and more, with 50 different quality results.

By monitoring the changes in processes, production or ingredients in various food products, C-Cell helps to optimise processing conditions and the efficiency of these processes.

In this way, it also helps maintain a high level of quality that is necessary to comply with relevant food standards and satisfy consumer demand.

If you are interested in making maintaining quality control a simple and effective process, please contact Calibre Control today to find out more about our range of equipment.

How C-Cell can be used in the baking sector

Baking quality is essential for suppliers when it comes to maintaining business performance and supply chain efficiency.

Customers need to be assured that goods are delicious and nutritious every time they buy them. They do not want the product to be inconsistent in any way, be that taste, size, or nutritional qualities.

The question is, how can this consistency be achieved? One answer is; C-Cell.

What is C-Cell?

C-Cell is a quality analyser that takes a detailed look at any sample of baked product.

Whether it’s a slice of bread, pastry, or cake, it uses a versatile lighting and a high-fidelity colour imager, to assess the specifics of the bake.

This is a sophisticated piece of machinery that measures more than 50 different elements of bakery products. That could be internal structure or slice shape measurements, or complex bread scoring and internal feature analysis.

From there, the information is categorised into:

• Size and Shape
• Cell numbers
• Cell orientation and colour

Unlike traditional bread scoring, this isn’t reliant on subjective, sensory impressions, but on multiple measurements taken from precise image analysis.

• Colour analysis - this is based on the Lab* colour space, an international standard that uses numerical scales for objective colour values.
• Quality - It analyses markers of quality such as cell elongation patterns, tunnelling in cakes, uncooked dough, surface cracking, and more.
• Dimensions - the dimensions of the loaded sample, such as height, width, and diameter, as well as the numbers and dimensions of inclusions like chocolate chips and berries are accurately measured.
• Batch analysis and consistent scoring using set parameters.

C-Cell provides a scientific, unbiased method of testing quality and measuring the various impacts of changes to the production process.

What is C-Cell used for?

C-Cell’s overarching function is to improve quality control in the baking industry.

It ensures that when a customer selects a product from the shelves of their grocery store, they can be confident that, for example, the loaf, packet of biscuits or tortillas they have bought will be the same baking quality as any they bought previously.

The way it does this is by analysing features of the bake. These include:

Cells

Cells manifest themselves when baking powder reacts in the dough of bakes like cakes and bread, aerating the mixture and giving it that all-important lightness when cooked. These air pockets are key to the bake in many subtle, but vital, ways and measuring them can reveal essential details concerning the performance of the dough.

When there are insufficient cells, the result will be a flat, sunken bake lacking in texture or taste. It can work the other way too. If there are too many then there will be thin cell walls, and this will reduce the overall volume of bread or cake creating an insubstantial and therefore unsatisfactory product.

Inclusions

Many cakes and bakes derive their flavour and uniqueness from ingredients like dried fruits, chocolate chips or seeds. These “inclusions” need to be evenly spaced and a consistent number (anyone who has made their own cakes only to find that all the fruits have sunk to the bottom will understand the frustration of this, so imagine if this happened on a wider scale). C-Cell can count the inclusions in a sample and produce a graphically overlaid image that highlights their locations, shapes, and sizes.

Dimensions

C-Cell can quickly ascertain the specific measurements of a sample, from length and width to concavity, cell diameters, and cell wall thicknesses.

These measurements can be batch measured to calculate averages and feed valuable data back into quality assurance, helping to establish tolerances and any lapses in overall quality.

Inconsistency in baked goods is definitely undesirable. No one wants a sliced loaf where the slices are of different thicknesses, or lack of uniformity in packages that contain multiples of the same product.

External features

C-Cell measures even the most minute details of samples, like the number and concentration of seeds on burger buns and the cracks that naturally occur in biscuit dough as it bakes and hardens.

These external features are often the first thing that a customer will notice when browsing baked goods, and though seemingly superficial, could be the first and only deciding factor in what they choose to buy.

Therefore, they cannot be ruled out as an important marker of quality, and should be measured accordingly.

Crust analysis

Analysis of crumb is important for quantifying bread quality. Though the internal crumb constitutes much of the texture and taste, crust is important for appearance and the ‘finish’ of a loaf.

C-Cell measures the thickness and lab* colour of bread crust to ensure the right level of quality is communicated through the external appearance of loaves.

Season harvest variations

When suppliers move from a previous year’s crop to the current season, this can cause some variation in products like flour. These changes can cause minor changes in the outcome of baked goods, such as colour and cells.

Keeping track of the in-depth effects of these variations is essential for maintaining baking quality.

How can C-Cell be used in the baking industry?

C-Cell is perfectly suited for maintaining baking quality, and it does this by using a combination of high-resolution images, powerful analysis, and accurate data consolidation for quantifying and reporting.

C-Cell’s operation can be thus distilled into a simple, three-step process: image, analyse, quantify.

Following this easy-to-follow path, bakeries can concentrate their quality control into a short and repeatable process with accurate results, needing only one point of analysis to unlock a wide range of data.

Why is it important to test quality in baking?

1. You can ensure that the quality of goods going to market is consistent
2. It helps ongoing research and development into products. It can help in fine-tuning existing baking products or in launching new ones
3. Various ingredient qualities can be tested using C-Cell and their effects on bakes can be objectively measured to ascertain best practice moving forward. The result is errors are reduced and the high-quality is translated into repeatable processes

To find out more about C-Cell and how it is important for baking quality visit our website here.