Milk and Dairy Applications

FT-NIR spectroscopy is a fast and accurate solution for the quality control of milk and dairy products. Bruker Optics offers solutions for the analysis of solid, semi-solid and liquid samples in the laboratory as well as in the process.

Improving product quality and assuring consumer health is important for milk and dairy producers, in all phases of the production chain, from the livestock diet to the quality control of the finished product. Bruker Optics' dedicated analyzers ensure the control of the quality relevant parameters like fat, protein, dry matter and others along the stages of production.

A set of starter calibrations is available for a quick and efficient implementation of the Bruker Optics spectrometers into your daily quality control routines.

Application Areas:

Cheese; soft, hard and slicing, processed, Quark (Curd)

Cheese can be analyzed by NIR in the lab (MPA) for dry matter, fat, protein, salt and for some types for pH. For easy sampling, all types of cheeses can be analyzed in polystyrene Petri dishes (90 or 34mm size) in transmission. Most types of cheeses are filled in directly, and hard cheese samples only require grinding for sample preparation. The intermediate products like cheese and salt mix before the melting of processed cheese, and hot cheese can directly be analyzed at the production line (MATRIX).

Butter; salted, un-salted

The most important, regulated parameter for butter is the moisture content and this can be analyzed using NIR spectroscopy. In case of salted butter, the salt content could be analyzed simultaneously during the same measurement. Butter can be analyzed in the lab in Petri dishes or using a handheld fiber optics probe (MPA). Process monitoring implementation enables complete, in-line control over the critical quality parameter moisture (MATRIX).

Yogurt and Pudding

Yogurt and other deserts can be analyzed for fat, dry matter and protein independent from color, additives or pieces of fruits, chocolate, nuts or others. Samples can easily be analyzed in the lab by filling them in glass Petri dishes or beakers and rotating measurement on the integrating sphere. For use of consumable polystyrene Petri dishes the sample is scanned in transmission. For those applications the MPA is fitting your needs.

Ice Cream

For Ice Cream, the same parameters as for dairy products are of interest: dry matter and fat. NIR analysis can be easily done using a fiber optic probe stacked into the sample.

Milk powder; Whey powder

In the lab such kinds of powders are analyzed on MPA in rotating cups with a quartz window which are easy to fill and to clean. All relevant parameters like dry matter (moisture), fat and protein content can be analyzed within seconds. Solutions for at-line or directly on-line are available (MATRIX).

Raw milk; Processed milk; Cream; Whey

The analysis of raw milk for its standardization and the control of liquid products and by-products are essential tasks in dairy production process. Milk is commonly analyzed using classical mid infrared instruments (MIR) which require a high initial investment and a cost intensive maintenance.

With FT-NIR the main parameters like fat, protein and lactose could be analyzed with a comparable accuracy to mid-infrared systems but with a simpler set-up and nearly without maintenance. The important aspect of using NIR is the fact that milk, along with all intermediate and final products in a diary factory can be analyzed using one instrument. Milk can be analyzed in the lab using a flow cell connected to a pump or with a fiber optics transflection probe.

An important benefit of FT-NIR technology is the process capability which allows the control of raw and standardized milk as well as liquid milk products in-line (MATRIX).

Bruker Optics FT-NIR spectrometers
MPA	MPA, multi purpose analyzer, combines flexibility and the power of FT-NIR spectroscopy.
MATRIX-I	MATRIX-I is a dedicated FT-NIR spectrometer that has integrating sphere for easy sampling.
MATRIX-F	MATRIX-F is a robust Process FT-NIR spectrometer, which can be coupled to fiber optic probes for remote measurements.