Particle Analysis of Chocolate

Applications

Food & Beverage

As the food supply chain has become increasingly global, there is a growing focus on the safety and integrity of food and beverage products, agricultural crops, and other natural products such as oils, spices, and nutraceutical and dietary supplements. HORIBA’s portfolio of physical and spectroscopic tools have unique capabilities to rapidly, routinely, and inexpensively characterize these important characteristics. For particle sizing and particle counting, the portfolio of tools includes laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and multi-laser NanoTracking Analysis. For chemical identification, a variety of spectroscopic tools are available: Raman and Raman microscopy can be used for organic and inorganic chemical ID, and A-TEEM fluorescence provides the ability to detect many common organic contaminants at extremely low (PPB to PPT) levels, or to detect unwanted compounds associated with smoke taint or mold.

Browse Applications

This study, Absorbance-Transmittance Excitation Emission Matrix Method for Quantification of Major Cannabinoids and Corresponding Acids: A Rapid Alternative to Chromatography for Rapid Chemotype Discrimination of Cannabis sativa Varieties, conducted at the University of Mississippi and published in 2022 in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, explores the potential of simultaneous acquisition of absorbance transmittance excitation-emission matrix data, A-TEEM™ spectroscopy, an optical technique that combines ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy.

This application note summarizes a groundbreaking study in the world of food safety and conservation that delves into the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon of nonconjugated rhodamine derivatives, sheds light on the underlying mechanism driving their luminescent properties and unlocks their potential in food spoilage detection.

Rice mainly consists of starch, but it also contains inorganic nutrients, and it has been reported that different inorganic elements have different distributions in a rice grain. We carried out elemental distribution imaging of inorganic nutrients with the HORIBA XGT-9500 X-ray analytical microscope. The result successfully visualized that P and K were accumulated in specific areas of a rice grain, while S and Zn were uniformly distributed within a rice grain.

We introduce A-TEEM™ spectroscopy as a new and fast way to analyze 45 specific quality parameters in wine. A-TEEM, a fluorescence spectroscopy technique, simultaneously acquires transmission, absorbance, and fluorescence Excitation Emission Matrices, overcoming the inner filter effect on the fly.

In this application note, a method for accurately predicting the amounts of major constituents of kava root from spectroscopic absorbance and fluorescence measurements made with the HORIBA Aqualog® and the A-TEEM technique is presented.

Saffron is a target for adulteration due to its high price. Other compounds can be added, such as minerals, oils or synthetic colorants. The two in one Duetta spectrometer was used to rapidly acquire Excitation Emission spectra for different saffron samples from different suppliers.

We all consume or have all consumed sugary drinks at least once. Sugar content of those drinks must be regulated. Also, to avoid those properties of sugar, it has been replaced by sweeteners. These have lower sweetness than natural sugars. Whether it is sugar or sweetener, their content just be controlled. Here, we demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is one solution to identify and evaluate sugar/sweetener concentrations in a quality control process.

Careful control of the particulates in whiskey is an important step to quality flavor and color. Inadequate monitoring of particle size impedes the final product stability, consistency, quality, and price. In this note, the particle science behind these determining factors will be thoroughly examined and explained.

In this study, particle size of wheat flour is measured by laser diffraction technology that has emerged as the most important and effective technique in the world of particle size analysis. When compared with traditional sieve method, laser diffraction is fast, non-destructive, and provides automated measurement through a simple measurement workflow.

A wide range of elements are present in plants. Some elements exist to play important roles as plant nutrients or enzymes, and some elements accumulate unexpectedly due to environmental pollution. While it is important to understand the bulk concentrations of individual elements from a nutritional and ecotoxicological perspective, the distribution of elements is also important for a better understanding of the mechanisms of metabolism and uptake in plants.

Grass seed for lawns and for agriculture is a common product in every country. Seed size makes a difference, larger seed sizes typically mean a more robust grass plant. The use of seeding machines make uniform size and shape important.

Raman analysis of a 50 μm section of a wheat grain kernel has allowed spectral features corresponding to starch, lipid and proteins to be identified. The distribution of these components on the micron scale has been studied using a Raman mapped image. Decomposition of the Amide I band allows a correlation between protein structures and grain hardness.

Edible insects have received attention as a possible solution as a supplemental source to reduce food insecurity because of their nutritional benefits such as protein, fat, and minerals. Micro-XRF can be used to understand the elemental distributions in insects non-destructively. In this application note, we carried out elemental map imaging on edible crickets using a HORIBA XGT-9500 X-ray analytical microscope and revealed the rich source of zinc in their jaws.

Hypocalcemia, characterized by decrease in blood calcium below normal level, is one of the most common disorders affecting dairy cows at the onset of lactation.

In the food industry, the compounds characterization is a critical step to ensure the quality of the products or to provide information to customers which can be sensitive to allergies. In this application note, we showed how optical spectroscopies and laser diffraction can help for food compounds characterization, especially on a specific product, i.e. milks.

The Aqualog A-TEEM spectrometer has the capacity to specifically identify and sensitively quantify key adulterants that are most commonly detected in Cranberry dietary supplements, including Pine Bark, Grape Seed and Peanut Skin extracts.

This app note demonstrates that the A-TEEM molecular fingerprinting technique can easily distinguish between different components in mixtures that contain FF and other ingredients considered to be adulterants, including lignosulphonates, organic acids, molasses, and provides a quantitative evaluation of mixtures.

Dry fertilizer powders or granules are commonly used because they are easy to transport and apply. Measurement of these dry powders can be difficult, as they can be soluble in a wide range of dispersant liquids.

Aqualog®, an analytical instrument based on the simultaneous measurement of Absorbance, Transmittance, Fluorescence Excitation and Emission Matrix (A-TEEM). A-TEEM fingerprints yield qualitative and quantitative composition of key flavor and color determinants in wine and spirits that are not discernible with simple Absorbance or Transmission data analysis.

Milk is an emulsion that is homogenized to reduce the average particle size, which improve its consistency and extends shelf life. The homogenization process is expensive and careful control of the process can improve quality and consistency and reduce operating costs.

In this note, the final result of soy milk processing is evaluated with particle size analysis. Particle size results give a quantitative measure of the soy milk that can be used to ensure consistent production and product quality.

Chili sauces may contain high amount of salts that increase chances of kidney and heart diseases.

It is often necessary to determine the calcium content of milk and milk beverages. This may be done by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA) or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP). Alternatively, by ionizing protein-bound calcium using an acidizing pretreatment, the LAQUAtwin Ca2 can be used to measure the total amount of calcium easily.

In this Application Note, we will focus on the importance of monitoring particle size and distribution range throughout two different processing technologies used to improve shelf-life and efficacy of CBD products.

Flour is the product of milled grains. Typically the distribution is wide and the size varies depending on the desired final product.

The HORIBA LA-960 laser diffraction particle size analyzer can cover all sizes of coffee grounds. Using laser diffraction leads to significant time and labor savings in addition to a more objective, reliable, and robust measurement.

The particle size distribution of many flavor emulsions has a substantial effect on their performance. Particle size distribution can affect mouth feel, appearance, and emulsion stability.

Bean paste is a milled bean product containing large sections of the seed coat along with varying sizes of ground cotyledons, the fleshy section of the bean. Particle size of these components has a direct effect on the final product.

HORIBA’s Aqualog is uniquely equipped with patented simultaneous Absorbance spectral and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) technology which provides rapid access to a wide range of parameters important to commercial wine processing and quality characterization.

The aim of this application note is to explain the determination of organic and inorganic carbon in soils and how to prepare samples to eliminate inorganic carbon (carbonates) in these soils.

An emulsion is droplets of one fluid suspended in another fluid. The stability of an emulsion depends on both the initial size of the droplet and a surfactant which is often added to stabilize the surface of the droplet.

Individual rice grains are analyzed by micro-XRF to examine the effect of grain polishing. The concentration of mineral elemnts found on a grain can be related to the degree of polish.

The use of time‐resolved fluorescence has expanded as the relative cost of instrumentation has decreased in recent years. One area where this is especially true is in the food industry, where time‐resolved fluorescence has been applied in the characterization of food stuffs as well as aspects related to food safety and degradation.

This application note introduces foreign matter analysis in food products using the XGT 9500. There are three analyses as follows: Foreign particles on an oily salami, foreign matter inside a laminated ham and sausage, and a fly found in a drink product.

The resurgence of interest in the Mediterranean Diet and its associated health benefits have directed focus on the role that Extra Virgin Olive Oil plays. The increasing awareness is leading to increasing product demand, but also opportunities to compromise quality. Hence the need for rapid analytical methods to perform Quality Analysis of various product samples.

Many food products exist in particulate form ranging from powders to emulsions, suspensions and pellets. The size distribution of the particulates can affect the taste, appearance, stability, processability, and functionality of the final product. Proper particle characterization of food products requires a range of analytical instrumentation that HORIBA particle technologies have successfully applied into the food industry.

Foods we love rely on flavorings (or flavorants) to enhance their taste. Flavorants can reduce the costs of food processing while allowing a healthier diet. For maximum impact, particle size is important. Chefs and food scientists look beyond the name of the flavor and consider how it behaves during cooking and manufacturing. Much of this depends on particle size.

Quality control is an essential part of sugar production. In this study, the LA-960V2’s ability to rapidly analyze particle separation and the particle size of powdered sugar at its de-agglomerated state is demonstrated.

Determining the nitrate concentrations of sudangrass and pearl millet before feeding them to livestock prevents nitrate toxicity.

This study focuses on the critical particle diameter of dry sugar granules as particle diameter is an indicator of: Flowability, Dissolution and mixing, and Powder uniformity.

This application note reviews the important role that particle size plays in the formation of mayonnaise and mayo products and how changes affect the taste and consistency of these alternatives.

Particle size of cocoa powder used in chocolate affects color and flavor strength. The industry refers to “mouthfeel” as a gauge of acceptability or rejection. If the particles are too large, it will not have a consistent creamy taste. Particle size also affects the level of bitterness when tasted.

Light incident on a leaf can be absorbed by chlorophyll to commence the photosynthetic cycle. Excess energy can be liberated as heat or by emission of fluorescence and this can be used to assess the efficiency of the photosynthetic process.

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