Stable Micro Systems has developed a Multiple Puncture Probe which accurately quantifies the firmness of foods with variable textures
Stable Micro Systems has developed a Multiple Puncture Probe which accurately quantifies the firmness of foods with variable textures, from fruit and vegetables to thick-cut marmalade and chocolate chip ice-cream.
Using several testing pins, attached to the TA.XTplus texture analyser, food manufacturers can test non-uniform products containing particulates of different size, shape, structure and levels of hardness, to provide repeatable results.
Testing diverse elements within one product, such as ice-cream containing randomly- distributed fruit chunks, is not only tricky but often results in low reproduceability and misleading data.
It may show wide variances between maximum and minimum force resistance, depending on whether the probe reaches a piece of fruit or ice-cream first.
By penetrating the product in several areas at the same time, the Multiple Puncture Probe produces an averaging effect and is therefore more representative.
The testing method also offers flexibility.
When forces are created above the capacity of the load cell being used in the TA.XTplus texture analyser, the operator can adapt the test by removing pins and reducing the contact area, if necessary.
However, the more probes that are used in the test, the more reproduceable the results.
The Multiple Puncture Probe can be attached to the TA.XTplus or TA.XT2i texture analysers - part of Stable Micro Systems' comprehensive range of testing instrumentation.
