Processed cheeses: analysis of physicochemical properties faster, more accurately and at lower cost

If you are involved in the manufacture of processed cheeses, you know that quality control is essential to ensure the quality and consistency of your products. 

The slightest change in the composition of the cheese can affect its flavor, texture or melting performance. 

That’ why physicochemical analyses are fundamental:

• They determine the composition and properties: moisture, proteins, fat, pH, dry matter, viscosity....  
• They define the nutritional value of the products.
• They ensure compliance with quality and food safety standards.
  
  

How and where are analysis performed?

Until now, the most common option was external laboratories. Only a few large companies can afford to have their own laboratories.

The problem is that outsourcing these controls involves a very high cost of money and time. 

 Not to mention the fact that it is not feasible to send samples of all batches and final products, only some are analyzed at random. Therefore, there is a great risk of overlooking deviations or adulterations.

But... things are changing. 

NIR technology, in general, and Chemometric Brain's software make it possible to perform these analyses in-house. The advantages are enormous:

• Saves time and money
• Much faster and more efficient 
• All raw materials and final products can be analyzed

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At Chemometric Brain we go one step further. Our quantitative analyses are carried out with the most precise and innovative algorithms on the market and are endorsed by the CRA-W, an international reference center in this field. Moreover, calibrations are automatically updated.

Let's go back to processed cheeses, a segment where product composition is crucial to obtain the expected yield.

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Do you have 1 minute? This story may interest you.

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A dairy company was interested in determining the composition of a batch of mozzarella cheeses to ensure that their properties complied with the company's standards, had the same performance (e.g. when melted) and were replicable for more efficient and safer manufacturing.

To solve these doubts, Chemometric Brain quantitative analysis was implemented, enabling instant information on a wide variety of physicochemical properties, such as moisture, protein, ash, salt, fat, dry matter, HMF, vitamin C...

And with an essential difference with respect to other NIR software: these calibrations are updated automatically, so the user simply must incorporate the collected reference values into his NIR spectrum. 

In short, more flexible, fast and accurate.

For this specific analysis, the customer collected around 66 different batches of mozzarella whose reference values for fat, protein, dry matter, salt and pH were determined in the laboratory and associated with their NIR spectra.

And the result was immediate and decisive.

Figure 1 shows the application of a calibration model for the prediction of the fat content of mozzarella. 

On the right side of the image, you can see the results obtained for other nutritional components, such as protein, dry matter, sodium chloride and pH. 

The results prove that the new batch produced is within the reference values and can therefore be considered as conforming to those previously produced.

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If you want to avoid unnecessary costs and implement a faster and more effective in-house quality control, you can start now, with no investment required, just a computer and our software.

Let's talk!

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