Rheology and Texture

Viscosity measurementKnowledge of rheological and textural properties of ingredients and materials is crucial for successful food & drink products. Viscosity, thickness, gelation, hardness, firmness, stickiness, crispiness are some of the key characteristics that are associated with the physical properties of a wide range of food & drink products and can ultimately influence consumer satisfaction.

Rheology and texture are important factors that can control the performance of various processing technologies in manufacturing plants, affect the stability of products during transport and storage, influence the appearance and appeal of products and impact the mouthfeel and organolpetic qualities upon consumption.

We provide a comprehensive range of testing services for viscosity measurements and rheological analysis of functional ingredients and finished food products.

Brookfield viscometers and rheometers are available for viscosity profiling at different shear rates and temperatures; these can provide information about flow and thickening properties of hydrocolloids &ingredients and products such as drinks, sauces & yoghurts.

Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) is available for measuring the pasting and viscosity characteristics of flour and starch suspensions, but is also applied to other ingredients, such as monitoring the hydration behaviour of hydrocolloids.

CarriMed and Bohlin rheometers are available for oscillatory rheology measurements, which allows for probing of gel structures and viscoelastic properties using time, frequency, stress, creep and temperature sweeps. Such information allows for monitoring of gelling characteristics, such as gelation rate, gel transition and gel strength, for ingredients and products.

Stable Micro Systems and Brookfield texture analysers are available for measurements of textural characteristics of many products; examples include gel & fruit firmness, snack/wafer crispiness, chocolate snapability, bread firmness, margarine/butter spreadability pasta stickiness and film extensibility.

In addition to rheology & texture expertise, the department also has many years’ experience in correlation of rheological/textural data with the sensory analysis, which is carried out by groups of trained expert panellists.

To learn more about our Rheology and Texture services please contact Pretima Titoria.

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