Thermo Electron Corp. said its Nicolet Antaris FT-NIR analyser is a non-destructive alternative to existing methods used in the prediction of components like fat and dry matter in cheese, greatly reducing the amount of time, materials and labour involved in the process.
Traditional cheese analysis procedures requires 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.
Fourier Transform Near Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy is an analytical technique for substance identification and quality assurance. The main advantages are its speed, dependability and minimized sample preparation required.
The method is 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, Thermo Electron stated.
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.