These techniques can help to automate and increase the efficiency of production processes, as well as documenting the properties of the raw material and product. This information will provide an important input into optimising control of production processes.
Important parameters that can be analysed vary from colour, chemical composition, degree of rancidity to detection of specific components (parasitic nematodes, blood and bones). The use of techniques such as x-ray, on-line colour measurement and imaging spectroscopy, these parameters can be placed spatially and in doing so provide important information for further processing, e.g. automated removal of pin bones.
Important information for production control include being able to analyse raw material properties, product properties and the effect of the process to be controlled. In order to collect this information, Nofima is developing several rapid instrumental methods, which have proven to be useable in this context.
These techniques are based on:
- VIS/NIR spectroscopy
- Imaging spectroscopy
- Colour analysis
- X-ray
- Fluorescence spectroscopy
