216
PASTA AND SEMOLINA TECHNOLOGY
Fig. 8.12 Spaghetti colour map
8.5.2.2 Length control (short goods) For retail pasta a general visual assessment of length is normally sufficient. However for certain ingredient pasta, much tighter specifications are often required to meet the demands of additional processes. As stated previously (see section 8.4), the best place to control length is at the press but the final assessment is often necessary to demonstrate compliance with specification. A level of sampling is needed to satisfy the customer that variations will not occur in intervening product. This level can be determined mathematically but it is often easier to check a recognised batch of product, such as a sample every tonne or pallet. A normal specification for this type of product would give a target mean length around which an acceptable range is allowed. Methods for measuring length variation vary from a simple micrometer to more complicated computerised imaging systems which can assess the length of a 30-piece sample in a few seconds. Avoid specifications that demand total compliance for every piece of pasta, e.g. 100% of pieces to fall between x and y is impossible to achieve.