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New ultrasonic spray coater |
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Sono-Tek Corp., the United States, has released a new
pilot-plant scale ultrasonic spray coating system – the
Universal Food Coater. This new versatile equipment was
developed in response to specific requests from food
manufacturers who observed the advantages of Sono-Tek’s
uniform, low flow, ultrasonic spraying capabilities at the
company’s laboratory in a batch mode.
The Universal Food Coater is equipped with six independently
controlled non-clogging ultrasonic atomizing nozzles, mounted
in a fashion allowing complete 360ş coverage of the food
target, at a range of liquid flow rates. The system is
equipped with a variable-width, variable-speed conveyor,
allowing flexibility for testing independently and/or in-line
with other manufacturing equipment. These features make the
Universal Food Coater ideal for optimization of low-flow spray
coating processes for R&D and small production capacity needs.
Contact: Dr. Joseph Riemer, Sono-Tek Corporation, 2012 Route
9W, Milton, NY 12547, United States of America. Tel: +1 (845)
7952 020; Fax: +1 (845) 7952 720.
Source:
www.sono-tek.com |
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X-ray improves detection accuracy |
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InspX, the United States, has launched a new X-ray system that
uses two beams to achieve dual detection for increased
accuracy and improved product quality. ScanTrac Dou detects
foreign materials in packaged products while inspecting for
imperfections and underfills. It provides real-time,
non-contact inspection, detecting and automatically rejecting
out-of-tolerance products from the production line.
ScanTrac Dou ensures inspection coverage on the bottom of
glass jars and bottles. About 95 per cent of glass bottles and
jars feature a push-up bottom that creates a “shadow”, which
can make detecting contaminants resting on the bottom of the
container difficult to find with a single X-ray beam. A
low-energy X-ray and advanced image processing software detect
even the smallest contaminants, achieving a false reject rate
of less than 1:10,000. The system can be mounted, without
modification, on conveyers running at speeds of up to 700
ft/min, carrying up to 1,400 containers per minute. The system
can handle products of up to 8 inches in diameter and 16
inches in height. It can be adjusted for inspecting a range of
products. Diameter size inspection changes can be made in
minutes without any changeover tools, while products with the
same diameter can be handled in seconds via pre-programmed
products recipes.
Source:
www.foodqualitynews.com
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Tiny devices help detect invisible pathogens |
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Scientists in Denmark have fabricated two tiny devices and
leveraged them to detect a range of contaminants, from
molecules to whole bacteria, in food and water. The devices –
one uses nano-sized cantilevers and the other uses coloured
markers – were created by a team of scientists led by Ms. Anja
Boisen at the University of Denmark. Cantilevers are akin to
miniature diving boards that measure 200 µm long and 40 µm
wide, about half the width of a human hair.
The team developed two cantilevers and placed them in a
sensor. A liquid is then passed through the cantilevers. While
the reference cantilever helps to eliminate factors such as
temperature changes, the other one is coated with a detector
layer that binds to the specific pathogen to be detected. When
the molecule or microbe that is to be detected binds to its
surface, the board bends and its electrical resistance is
altered. Detection is achieved by measuring the change in
resistance. The second sensor also has a flexible board or
“lid”, but this is placed on top of a tiny box that contains
marker molecules. The lid is coated with specific detector
molecules that bind to the targeted pathogen. On detection,
the lid deflects to release the coloured marker molecules
which in turn produce colour visible to the naked eye. Both
sensors are extremely sensitive and can measure deflections of
just 1 nm; so the devices are able to detect the presence of
very small molecules.
Source:
www.foodqualitynews.com |
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Hygiene monitoring system targets food industry |
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Strategic Diagnostics Inc. (SDI), the United States, has
announced the expansion of its product line to include hygiene
monitoring with the exclusive distribution of the Lumitester®
PD-10N/LuciPacTM W. The system is a unique patented platform
with a proprietary enzymatic recycling technology that enables
detection of both AMP and ATP. It offers significant benefits
over other hygiene monitoring systems on the market, which,
due to the unstable nature of ATP, may not give a true
indication of cleaning efficiencies. AMP is a stable,
persistent molecule with the ability to provide users a more
precise, reproducible indication of the effectiveness of both
cleaning and sanitation programmes.
Key advantages offered by the LumitesterPD-10N/LuciPacW system
include:
- Extremely accurate results even when only a small amount
of residual biological material is present; and
- The patented reagents are detergent tolerant.
The LumitesterPD-10N/LuciPacW complements SDI’s RapidChek®
product line by further impacting the ability to enhance
overall microbiological control and the performance of the
customer’s HACCP programmes.
Contact: Strategic Diagnostics Inc., 111, Pencader Drive,
Pencader Business Park, Newark, DE 19702, United States of
America. Tel/Fax: +1 (302) 4566 789/770
Website:
www.sdix.com
Source:
www.news.thomasnet.com
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Analyser adapted for high-viscosity production |
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Milk-Lab, the United Kingdom, has reported that analysers
designed to assess milk composition claims have been adapted
for use in the production of high-viscosity dairy products.
This development could offer dairy processors a new method for
the production of beverages like milk shake, by monitoring fat
and solid levels to reduce the danger of clogging up the
production line. According to Milk-Lab, the adapted analyser
uses a slow suction peristaltic pump along with wider tubing
to allow for the production of high-viscosity milk products
that contain ingredients such as chocolate and fruit. The
inclusion of such solid ingredients can potentially restrict
beverage flow. The company has also included cleaning-in-place
systems in a bid to further reduce the risk of blockages,
while cutting the need to disassemble the production line for
maintenance. Furthermore, the milk examining equipment is free
of hazardous chemicals and materials such as glass, offering a
safer and cost-free analysis straight from the milk sample.
Source:
www.foodproductiondaily.com |
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Grain analyser |
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Foss Electric India offers a dedicated whole grain analyser
whose capabilities can be expanded with optional accessories
such as volume weight, sample transport and flour modules.
InfratecTM 1241 grain analyser has a wavelength range of
570-1,100 nm to allow for colour measurements. All modules can
be installed in one unit – just select the application and run
your samples. The grain analyser is the ideal solution for all
steps in the agricultural chain, including grain trading, crop
management, grain processing and flour production. It can be
used to analyse quality parameters such as protein, moisture,
starch, oil, volume weight, colour, etc. with high accuracy.
The Infratec 1241 can be used either as a stand-alone or as a
networked unit. It is equipped with a multigrain cell having
automatically variable path length. This makes it possible to
analyse commodities – including rapeseed, wheat and corn –
without any demand on the operator. Transfer of data between
instrument and LIMS systems as well as remote control of the
unit is facilitated by Datalogger and Datalink software
packages. Key features and benefits include:
- Near-infrared transmittance (NIT) eliminating sample
preparation;
- Ready-to-use calibrations (ANN) accuracy;
- Truly transferable calibrations (ANN) for low operating
cost;
- Long-term stability of calibrations – for low operating
cost; and
- Capability for high moisture samples for a wide range of
applications.
Contact: Foss Electric India, Central Camera Bldg., 195 D.N.
Road, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, India. Tel: +91 (22) 2261
0682; Fax: +91 (22) 2261 0724
E-mail:
ccc3@vsnl.com
Source:
www.foss.us |
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