Microscopy

MicroscopyThe use of microscopy is a powerful tool in the development of new or improved products and processes. Understanding how changes in ingredients or manufacturing processes affect the product structure allows you to control product qualities more successfully. Understanding the link between ingredient properties, structure and processing to product characteristics and consumer preferences, will give a competitive advantage.

Leatherhead’s microscopy experts provide two important aspects of food structure for customers. The first is the collection of structural information using the best technique from a range including light microscopy, confocal and electron microscopy. The second is the interpretation of this structural information. Both require a high level of expertise in the microscopy of foods and ingredients. Leatherhead has a unique mix of very experienced food microscopists, product developers and ingredient scientists, who work together to give the best interpretation and application of the results. These are complemented by sensory and consumer experts.

Expertise covers a wide area of products, including the structure-texture relationships in chocolate, toffee, gels, meat products, pastry, snacks, and fruit and vegetables. Microscopy pictures are also found very useful by our clients for marketing purposes.

Troubleshooting

Even with long-standing foods or processes, products fail for unknown reasons, and this can be very expensive for the manufacturer. Microscopy is an important and crucial first step in understanding the reasons underlying the product failure. This information, together with the input from our ingredients and product development experts, will help understand the cause of the problem and allow the manufacturer to prevent this from happening again.

Typical problems have included issues with: setting, splitting or syneresis, crystallisation, emulsion instability, unwanted haze formation, caking of powdered ingredients.

To learn more about our Microscopy services please contact Kathy Groves.

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