Most spreads and sauces are dispersions of an insoluble solid or liquid phase most commonly in water. Examples include mayonnaise, margarine and ketchup. Such products have complex properties, and contain a number of formulation ingredients including oils/fats, emulsifiers, thickening agents (usually gums) as well as salt, sugar, colorants and flavorings. These must be formulated in such a way as to obtain a stable product with the required sensory and nutritional properties.
Malvern Panalytical's range of analytical instruments and application solutions can assist this process by helping to:
Whether a product is a suspension of tomato fibers (ketchup) or an oil/water emulsion (margarine and mayonnaise), particle size, shape, surface charge, chemical composition and properties can all have a significant impact on final product quality including visual perception , taste, flow behavior and stability. While some of these measurable physical properties may be critical for a specific application, it is often their interplay which is responsible for defining the complex behavior required for market acceptance in many food stuffs.