Food and Drink Analysis

The particle size analysis of the food and beverage industry provides necessary data for improving quality and production efficiency. Therefore, particle size analyzer plays an important role in particle size analysis of food and beverage industry. Bettersize series particle size analyzers have been widely used in the food and beverage industry for their stable performance, high repeatability and accuracy in particle size measurement.

The performance of the food and beverage industry is closely related to the quality and safety of its products. Further challenges include organoleptic quality, guarantee period, stability, process stability and quality control. The morphology of food is various, including solid state, liquid state, powder, powders and viscous emulsions, and some food at the intermediate production stage is in a powder form. The particle size analyzer can provide scientific data to ensure that production in the intermediate and final stages can meet the standards, thereby providing scientific and effective quality control. The performance of the food and beverage industry is closely related to the quality and safety of its products. Further challenges include organoleptic quality, guarantee period, stability, process stability and quality control.

The morphology of food is various, including solid state, liquid state, powder, powders and viscous emulsions, and some food at the intermediate production stage is in a powder form. The particle size analyzer can provide scientific data to ensure that production in the intermediate and final stages can meet the standards, thereby providing scientific and effective quality control. Bettersize particle measuring systems meet the  international standard with high accuracy, which has attracted great attention of customers in the food and beverage industry and has been widely used in the particle size analysis lab such as coffee and other products.

One example where tight particle size control is required is in the manufacture of chocolate. In the first stage, the nibs are ground into a thick paste called the chocolate liquor. The size of the particles in the chocolate mass is now about 100 microns. To avoid a grainy taste in the finished chocolate, another grinding takes place to reduce the particle size to about 18 microns as the tongue can sense grains of 18 microns or larger. If cocoa powder is being made, the chocolate liquor is further processed into pressed cake, and cocoa butter produced. The chocolate liquor or mass is put into hydraulic presses under extremely high pressure to drain off the clear, golden liquid cocoa butter. The press cake that is left is cooled, pulverized and sifted into cocoa powder. At this stage the chocolate liquor and other ingredients are kneaded together according to the kind and quality of the chocolate being made. The cocoa liquor is mixed with cocoa butter and sugar and this is further refined by reducing the particle size of the added milk powder solids and sugar down to the desired fineness. 

The Cocoa powder or 'mass' is blended back with the cocoa butter (added to promote better mouth feel and reduce the viscosity) and liquor in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate. Lecithin, an emulsifier, which is much cheaper than cocoa butter $2577/ton (£1,577/ton) is also used to reduce the viscosity of chocolate and so reduces the amount of extra cocoa butter that must be added.

The ingredients can be churned together for hours. The resulting mixture is then dried to form a crumb which is ground with more cocoa butter in the next phase to make the thick chocolate crumb into a silky chocolate. This step reduces the particle size of the cocoa mass to 25 to 30 microns. The smoother the chocolate desired, the more time spent in the rolling mill.

No matter which solid, liquid or emulsion you use, the Bettersize particle size and particle shape analysis system can help you to:
● Rapidly test the particle size and particle shape of new formulations, and participate in new product development
● Optimize the powdering and pelleting process
● Control production and ensure the consistency of ingredients
● Participate in quality control and improve productivity and throughput