Characterisation of different typical Italian breads by means of traditional,spectroscopic and image analyses

In this paper a complete characterization of four typical durum wheat breads produced in Italy was performed, from the starting semolina to the final product, also considering the intermediate dough. An evaluation of the quality of durum wheat re-milled semolina was carried out by means of routine investigations, together with nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) and isotope ratio spectrometry (IRMS) analyses, that were also applied to dough ready for baking and bread to monitor the variations that occur during processing. The experimental data obtained from routine and spectroscopic determinations were investigated using multivariate statistical analysis to evaluate the possibility of differentiating flours, doughs and breads according to their geographical origin. Computerized image analysis was applied to quantify the crumb grain features of different breads types, and to try to characterize each bread type through a set of crumb morphological and color parameters.