Quantification of the Browning Kinetic on Pita Bread Using Fractal Method

Abstract

Browning kinetic was quantified in two types of pita bread based on the resulting color heterogeneity formed on their surface due to toasting them at four different temperature states (160, 180, 200, and 220 °C correspondingly). In the browning kinetic description, a fractal method was used. The fractal method measures color intensity resulting from toast assuming a non-homogenous distribution of the formed color during the toasting process. Simultaneously, the conventional method was also used to determine enzymatic browning kinetics among the three darkest toast colors. The kinetic of both methods were compared under the very same conditions. In order to gather data, computer vision was employed for 1 to 2 h (taking pictures every 15 s) allowing to accumulate a considerable amount of data (around 500 points per kinetic). In the results, a fractal method was applied to keep a record of the pita bread browning and to determine the fractal kinetic rate. The browning rate measured using the fractal method was always higher than when applying the traditional method. Furthermore, it was possible to apply the Arrhenius Law to calculate corresponding activation energies.