The method (AACCI Approved Method 10-14.01) used the bread volume meter (BVM) laser topography based analyzer from Perten Instruments.
The instrument reports volume, weight, specific weight (density) and measurements such as length and width.
A study assessing the technique with samples ranging from 200 to 2,800cm3 in volume, and involving 11 laboratories, was done in 2005.
Mark Bason, business development manager rheology for Perten Instruments, said: “The BVM method is objective, contact-free, rapid, and simple to perform, making it well suited to the requirements of the milling and baking industries.”
Volume is an important measure of fermented bread quality and the method can replace seed displacement tests that are often used in test bake labs and commercial bakeries.
In laser topography, a laser and sensor move from top to the bottom of a rotating product, measuring the position of the product surface to generate a full 3D picture.