Shortening is generally tasteless yet provides several benefits to the baked good it's in, including tenderness, texture, structural integrity, and extended shelf life. Because it is such an important ingredient, customers will often search for the best-quality shortening. One way to help bring your product to the top is through performing shortening colour measurements.
The key to quality lies in shortening colour consistency — no matter which product they pull from the shelf, customers will always expect shortening to look the same. Here are some of the top tips for making sure your shortening is up to colour quality standards.
Shortening is made from various oils and is white in colour. This pure white colour — along with shortening's odorless quality — is collectively understood as fresh.
When shortening spoils, it will turn from milky white to yellow and only get darker as it ages. It will also have a musky odor. Maintaining a pure white colour throughout the production process will prevent a fresh product from being misidentified as spoiled.
Because it is created from oils, shortening will have a glossy finish, contributing to its overall colour. This gloss is often desired in icing or other decorative aspects of bakery items.
Many people can tell if shortening is good or bad based on its texture and overall appearance. In addition to its white glossy colour, shortening appears soft, like a stick of butter. When it starts to go bad, it will harden. Creating the desired smooth appearance will help customers recognize its freshness.
Making products in the food sector requires colour quality control for industry standards and safety. With the Agera spectrophotometer, you can meet customers' visual perceptions of shortening.
Agera is an all-in-one solution for measuring the colour of shortening, due to its:
With over 70 years of experience, HunterLab offers colour measurement solutions for your shortening products. Our products are CE- certified, so we can offer the quality results you deserve.
Reach out to our team today to receive a quote on our available spectrophotometers.
HunterLab goes beyond color, delivering precise, science-backed solutions that help industries achieve superior quality and appearance control. As a global leader in spectrophotometry, we empower businesses to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and enhance product consistency—directly impacting the bottom line. By combining innovation, real-world expertise, and sustainable measurement solutions, we help manufacturers optimize production, minimize material loss, and meet the highest industry standards. Follow us on LinkedIn