FOOD, FEED & BEVERAGES
Equipment Applications for Food
Provide real-time insights into your process
Quality testing is a critical attribute for product improvement, consumer safety and quality control within the meat industry. Both composition and sensory parameters such as fat content, tenderness and juiciness are among these attributes.
Fat Content
Fat content is a crucial parameter to control during the manufacturing of raw and processed meats. This factor contributes to the value of meat product and influences the products’ price point. Near-infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy is a powerful tool for monitoring fat content in meat products during a static or moving measurement. The 1600 – 1800 nm wavelength region is utilized to calculate %fat. This technique provides several advantages including a rapid measurement time, non-destructive sampling method & lack of sample preparation.
Tenderness
As a sensory attribute, meat tenderness is considered one of the most important factors in meat quality. A variation in protein concentration is the primary contributor to meat tenderness. With Raman spectroscopy, separate groups/grade of meat can be identified based on their classification (i.e. <25%, 25 – 50%, 50-75% and >75%). Due to its insensitivity to water, Raman spectroscopy provides a significant advantage over other methodologies (such as FT-IR) as many foods are largely comprised of water. Additionally, the non-destructive technique allows for online analysis in seconds.
