Or a piece of pasta, or a noodle? This important parameter for quality control in the food sector may become easier to monitor with this noodle compression attachment
Manufacturer and supplier of texture analysis equipment, Lloyd Instruments has now launched a new test fixture designed specifically to meet the quality assessment requirements of spaghetti, pasta, and noodles producers.
The spaghetti and noodle compression attachment fits the Lloyd Instruments computer-controlled Taplus texture analyser and other machines in the company's range.
It is designed to take thickness measurements of the cooked product in order to calculate a range of parameters including sample compressibility.
The accuracy and ease of use makes the test system ideal for R and D and quality control during food production.
A cooked product sample is placed onto the fixture's lower compression plate.
With a single key operation, the testing machine automatically lowers the upper compression plate via a high resolution encoder and takes three thickness measurements at two specified loads of 15gf and 515gf. The machine then stores and analyses the results in the operating software.
Additional results are calculated from these three thickness measurements to evaluate sample compressibility and other parameters.
The entire test is driven by the company's Nexygen MT software with the Ondio application builder program. Besides compressibility, the system evaluates product recovery, springiness, and helps manufacturers calculate ideal cooking times (to ensure an 'al dente' product after cooking, for example), assess ingredients mixes, understand product behaviour after freezing and keep production costs low.
The Taplus texture analyzer and Nexygen MT food texture applications software can assess product quality on a wide range of food items including dairy products, bakery, confectionery, gels, and more.
