Thermo's Nicolet Antaris FT-NIR Analyzer Achieves Rapid In-Process Analysis Of Fat And Dry Matter In Cheese

Madison, WI - Thermo Electron Corporation announces a new application for at-line quantitative analysis of fat and dry matter in cheese using its Nicolet Antaris FT-NIR analyzer. The application is illustrated in a newly released application note discussing the advantages of FT-NIR over traditional testing methods and is of particular interest to QA/QC scientists and engineers in the food and beverage industry, who currently rely on wet chemistry methods to test their production processes.

Traditional cheese analysis procedures require a skilled operator running multiple samples in order to give an average number for each component under analysis. In addition, concentrated sulfuric acid is required and the sample material is destroyed so that the sampling methodology cannot be designated as truly representative of the whole. FT-NIR is an excellent non-destructive alternative to existing protocols used in the prediction of components like fat and dry matter in cheese, greatly reducing the amount of time, materials and labor involved in the process.

FT-NIR is a fast, easy and accurate method, able to obtain data rapidly enough for the control of the process of raw materials and additives blending in melting pots, resulting in saving raw materials and sustaining a constant quality of products. In addition to replacing current methods for predicting fat content, FT-NIR testing can be further extended to other components such as moisture or protein. Thermo's Nicolet Antaris FT-NIR analyzer allows for the collection of a single spectrum in less than 60 seconds. This multivariate analysis technique allows the analyst to predict multiple components of cheese from the single spectrum.

SOURCE: Thermo Electron Corporation