FT-NIR
FOR FOOD INDUSTRY QUALITY CONTROL
SPECTROSCOPY
KEY BENEFITS OF
FT-NIR SPECTROSCOPY:
• Non-destructive analysis
• No sample preparation, no waste
• No special skills required, easy
sample presentation
• No typical errors such as weighing,
endpoint determination etc of
classical lab methods
• Analysis of multiple components in
less than one minute
• Suitable for any solid, semi-solid or
liquid sample.
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FT-NIR is a powerful and effective technology for
control of raw materials, intermediates and finished
products. The major application areas of NIR
spectroscopy include dairy and meat, beverages,
edible oils, bakery ingredients and condiments as
well as grains and oil seeds. Numerous parameters
such as protein, dry matter and fat - but also
more dedicated parameters - can be monitored
simultaneously within seconds, saving thousands of
dollars on wet chemistry every month.
In contrast to most wet-chemical and other
reference methods, FT-NIR technology is quick,
cost-effective, non-destructive and safe, since it
does not use chemicals, solvents or gases. It simply
measures the absorption of near-infrared light of
the sample at different wavelengths, recording
molecular vibrations of all molecules containing C-H,
N-H or O-H groups. This makes NIR spectroscopy
the first choice for the analysis of all kinds of organic
materials – ideal for the food industry.
Choosing the best possible sampling method is
crucial when solving a specific analytical task. The
MPA II is ideally suited to food analysis as it can
combine several sample presentation options, like
transmission or reflection measurement modules in
just one instrument – a complete solution not only
for daily QA/QC work, but also for sophisticated
method development studies. Due to the modular
design of the MPA II, the instrument can easily
be adapted to the respective application, and the
robustness of the instrument allows it to be used in
the laboratory and factory floor alike. Ready-to-use
application packages help to avoid the need of timeconsuming
calibration work.
The demand for easy-to-use
tools to monitor and ensure the
integrity of foodstuffs is growing
around the world.
kitchen utensils - such as wooden
and plastic cutting boards, knives
and surgical gloves - with the
bacteria and phages and monitored
for two hours. In this case as well,
the phages effectively inhibited
bacterial growth. Skurnik says
treating food with phages is not an
entirely novel idea: in the United
States, a phage product already on
the market is sprayed on raw food
products to prevent Listeria bacteria
growth. “In Finland, there is no
urgent need to prevent Yersinia
infections, but our study can serve
as a model for the prevention of
other, more serious foodborne
infections through phage treatment.
In the future, decontamination
with phages may well be part of
the routine in processing food.
One option is a phage mixture
effective against several bacteria,
such as the Salmonella and
Campylobacter species, as well as
the most common food poisoning
bacteria in the gut. This mixture
could also be administered in a
preventive manner to farm animals,
for example mixed in their drinking
water,” he says.
BOX:Yersiniosis:
Causes fever, severe abdominal
pain and diarrhoea, which may
persist for up to three weeks
In some cases may cause arthritis
as a secondary disease persisting
potentially several weeks
Occurs all over the world.
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