METHOD TO MEASURE MICROWAVE-INDUED TOUGHNESS OF BREAD

Bread slices were placed in a custom holding device and cut with a wir e cutter attached to a TA.XT2 Texture Analyzer. The peak force require d to cut the bread was taken as a measure of toughness. Microwave rehe ated, conventionally reheated, and unheated bread were compared as wer e the effects of bread age (firming). Certain emulsifiers were added a nd microwave toughness of bread compared. Use of certain emulsifiers a nd increasing the water content of the bread (through use of fiber) de creased toughness of microwave-reheated bread. The developed method wa s effective in measuring microwave heating induced toughness.