Campden BRI Invests in Texture/Shape Assessing Technology

Mervin Poole explains:"Knowledge of how the shape and size of ingredients affect products could enable manufacturers to significantly improve processing efficiency and effectiveness, and product quality.

4 July 2012 --- Particle shape and size can have a significant impact on many aspects of food, influencing processability and ingredient functionality as well as product taste, appearance, texture and stability. As part of its £1.4m worth of investment in analytical and processing equipment, Campden BRI has installed a new particle analyser that can measure the shape and size distribution of particles from two microns up to three centimetres.

Mervin Poole explains:"Knowledge of how the shape and size of ingredients affect products could enable manufacturers to significantly improve processing efficiency and effectiveness, and product quality. Because of the unique way in which the machine operates we can analyse the overall shape of particles, not just their apparent shape in one particular orientation, allowing statistically reliable data to be obtained. We can also analyse wet as well as dry products – so can look at things like emulsions.

Amongst the products we have already looked at are salt, sugar and coffee granules, confectionery decorations, and composite instant drink powders - in which three different ingredients are mixed together. The ability to characterise particle shape and size so precisely, in ways not previously available, opens up opportunities not just for monitoring and controlling the quality of the ingredients themselves, but also to investigate which particular factors are important. Significantly, once a sample has been passed through the machine, post-testing analysis of the data can be carried out to explore all sorts of features of the sample.”

This latest acquisition complements our long-standing expertise in image analysis and related techniques.