Instrumental techniques used in bread staling analysis

Bread staling is characterized by many physical and chemical phenomena such as changes in texture, water migration, starch crystallization, and component interactions. Analyses of bread staling have evolved over time, as instrumental technology and knowledge of the subject have progressed. Various analytical techniques are available for monitoring changes at macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular levels. Careful selection of techniques offers a strategy to investigate the bread staling mechanism. It is imperative to consider the various events taking place concurrently 94within the system. Each event occurs in a distinct time frame and scale (e.g., macroscopic to molecular). Using appropriate instrumental techniques, useful data can be obtained leading to a better understanding of the nature of bread staling. Examples of such studies applied to bread can be found elsewhere. ^1-5 .