Measurement of Spaghetti Speck Count,Size, and Color Using an Automated Imaging System

An objective imaging method was developed to count dark specks in spaghetti. The method simultaneously measured individual speck size and color and the overall color of the spaghetti. Spaghetti samples were prepared from durum wheat samples collected from the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grains (PRRCG) durum wheat cooperative trials during four consecutive crop years from 2002 inclusive to 2005. Differences in speck counts were found between samples within each year. From year to year, the baseline for speck counts varied with the highest numbers in 2005 and the lowest numbers in 2004. For comparison, three technicians also counted the number of specks in each sample. These visual counts were not consistent between technicians or technician to the imaging method, supporting the need for this objective approach. Spaghetti speck counts did not relate to the speck counts of the semolina subsequently used to prepare the product. Speck sizes were consistent across samples and between years, indicating a consistent milling method for all the samples. Differences in speck count numbers could not be attributed to differences in speck color or pasta color. The imaging method gave very consistent speck counts and color measurements over the four years.