Texture Analysis Solutions

Two developments are the analysis of acoustic emissions from food products during deformation, and the video recording of the test during texture measurements.

Over the years, manufacturers have identified and researched a growing number of texture-related attributes, such as stickiness, hardness and chewiness, that influence product appeal. In today’s ever-changing market climate, burdened with stringent retailer and consumer demands, new areas of texture analysis are being explored to further improve product quality, gain competitor advantage and increase market share. Two developments in this field are the analysis of acoustic emissions from food products during deformation, and the video recording of the test during texture measurements to supplement traditional force-distance-time information.

Sounds Important
Analysing the sounds emitted from food can provide vital information on actual and perceived product quality. When crispy or crunchy foods, such as breakfast cereals, crackers, hard fruit and vegetables, are crushed through mastication or mechanical testing, unique sounds are emitted by the brittle fracture of the product’s cell walls. These noises play a major role in determining the consumer’s perception of a product. A sharp, crisp sound emitted on biting into an apple, for example, implies freshness; without it, the apple could be less appealing to the consumer. Every product has its own particular acoustic characteristics and the level or type of noise produced can determine the consumer’s acceptance or rejection of it. Acoustic analysis can therefore help manufacturers identify and analyse the sounds emitted from products and the results used to improve texture. For manufactured foods, for example, the ingredients, process or machinery employed could be altered, whereas for fresh produce, it may be necessary to make changes to the handling or packaging processes.

Emerging Technology
Manufacturers have traditionally used mainly force-distance-time data, or relied on makeshift methods and tools that are inaccurate or incompatible with existing texture analysis equipment to analyse acoustic emissions. Today, however, significant advances have been made to enable the measurement of acoustic emissions alongside traditional force-distance-time data – so providing accurate and realistic results. This acoustic analysis technology can be used in conjunction with existing texture analysis equipment and offers many advantages. For instance, unwanted background noise can be omitted and force and sound profiles from individual tests can be synchronised, so the resulting curves are analysed simultaneously. In addition, the tests and sound acquisition can be handled automatically by software incorporated into sophisticated texture analysis equipment. This saves time, facilitates use and increases accuracy. The Acoustic Envelope Detector from Stable Micro System is attached to the company’s existing TA.XTplus texture analyser and enables manufacturers to record and analyse acoustic data simultaneously with other texture information. This is facilitated by the instrument’s advanced software, Texture Exponent, which synchronises the collection of data during an experiment. The result is a more synergistic and detailed analysis of a product’s texture.

Visualising the Benefits
While the measurement of acoustic data is a test method in its own right, improvements are also being made to help manufacturers collect and interpret other test data. Instrumentation that synchronises video recordings with the corresponding force-distance-time data allows a more detailed and accurate sample analysis to be achieved.
Capturing texture tests on video offers genuine benefits to manufacturers. Crucial visual elements of an experiment can be easily missed by the human eye, due to the rapid speed of the test or complex breaking pattern of the sample; brittle, crispy or crunchy products, for example, break very quickly. With recent technology, manufacturers can play back each frame of a video recording with the corresponding point on the force-distance-time graph, so a more accurate interpretation of the test can be achieved.

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