A powerful scanning electron microscope has been brought into the microscopy laboratories at Reading Scientific Services, to investigate fine detail behind the texture and performance of foods
A new scanning electron microscope has been purchased for the microscopy laboratory at Reading Scientific Services.
It will allow RSSL to image a wider range of food samples at a variety of appropriate magnifications to investigate and understand the fine structural detail that lies behind the texture and performance of many foods.
The Jeol JSM6480LV is a low vacuum instrument that is capable of being operated over a wide pressure range.
The main benefit of operation at low vacuum (ie, at a higher chamber pressure) is that it means moist, organic materials, which describes most foods, can be viewed without extensive sample preparation.
The instrument is fitted with a high resolution cryo-stage, which allows frozen hydrated samples to be imaged.
Using the cryo-stage it is possible, for example, to look at the distribution of fat, water and air particles in products such as spreads, ice-creams, salad creams, and sauces.
The instrument will also be used to look at the surface coatings of foods.
X-ray microanalysis, capable of detecting light elements, is also interfaced to the SEM, which gives it a powerful analytical capability.
Although RSSL has always had a scanning electron microscope, it says the performance of this new analytical, low-vacuum instrument, complete with cryo facility, is far superior to that of previous models.
It provides a versatile platform that will permit a wider range of food research projects to be investigated by RSSL's microscopy team.
It will be used also for foreign body identification and environmental analyses.
