Better insight into complex products
Various applications are being investigated and developed in close collaboration with relevant expertise from several professional fields. Some of the areas being focused on are:
- rapid and non-destructive measurement of oxidation
- developing instrumental methods for measuring sensory properties
- on-line measurement of fat and fat composition
- rapid classification of bacteria based on FTIR
- measuring health related substances in fruit and vegetables
- monitoring fermentation processes and protein denaturing
- good on-line solutions for complex heterogeneous products
- use of spectroscopic techniques for effective description of phenotype in relation to genome and proteome.
All spectroscopic techniques can be combined with images and spectral imaging is actively used to improve insight into complex products.
The industry's need for controls is increasing
The food industry is dependent on increasing productive efficiency while at the same time maintaining or improving product quality. Rapid and non-destructive measurement techniques are therefore being increasingly used in quality control and for managing production lines.
In this project, various methods have been developed to be able to study industrial processes such as heat treatment, salting and tenderising of both meat and fish, based on FTIR microspectroscopy, Raman microspectroscopy and other imaging techniques.
A good deal of work has gone into developing a usable and robust Raman platform. The instrument has now become a better integrated part of the range of instrumentation and is becoming increasingly involved in both pure research studies and commissioned projects.
Nofima Mat has been working with CIGENE to carry out several pilot activities in which we test the potential of new high-speed phenotype screening in functional genomics. Testing of NIR spectroscopy in combination with imaging spectroscopy for on-line measurement of typical fat, water and colour (VIS) in complex products like fish and meat has provided very promising results.
Within fluorescence spectroscopy, we have been focusing on the measurement of photo-oxidation. Gas sensors/electronic nose have been used to carry out studies into lipid oxidation. These show that it is possible to measure the degree of oxidation using this method.
Product development network testing the concept
To meet the industry's need for increased quality control and management, we have commenced an initiative to generalise process improvement projects in the food industry, with the focus on using statistics and rapid methods. The concept outline should describe the whole process from choice of method and development to implementation, operation and user training. The aim is to achieve a number of successful projects and better exploitation of data and production resources in the food industry. In spring 2007 we began a collaboration with the International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS), Østfold Research Institution (STØ), and Østfold University College, a product development network in which the concept is tested by six food companies in Østfold and Rogaland.
