Near Infrared Measurement For Food Production
EMCO supplies near infrared analysers that measure moisture, fat, protein, colour and degree of roast in around five seconds, without contact and without reagents. Our at-line InfraLab Series 9 instruments bring laboratory-level analysis to the production floor, while Nordson Series 9 and PrediktIR II gauges measure continuously over a moving line. Applications span bakery, coffee, dairy, meat and snacks, as well as industrial and converting processes.
Near Infrared Measurement For Food Production And Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
How long should a moisture test take? Loss-on-drying takes hours. Karl Fischer and Kjeldahl take a technician, reagents and a laboratory. Near infrared measurement takes about five seconds, needs no contact with the sample, and can run continuously above a moving production line.
EMCO supplies both formats: at-line InfraLab Series 9 analysers for rapid sample testing, and inline Nordson Series 9 and PrediktIR II gauges for continuous non-contact measurement over the belt.
Near Infrared Measurement For Food Production And Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
What Is Near Infrared Measurement?
Near infrared measurement determines composition by how a sample reflects light at specific wavelengths. It measures moisture, fat and oil, protein, collagen, colour and degree of bake or roast, without contact, without reagents and without destroying the sample. Where conventional methods such as loss-on-drying, Karl Fischer or Kjeldahl take hours and a trained technician, NIR delivers a comparable result in around five seconds from an operator who needs almost no training. That speed is what turns quality control from an occasional lab check into something that can run on every batch, or continuously on a moving line.
At-Line Testing Versus Inline Gauging
EMCO's at-line InfraLab Series 9 analysers bring laboratory-level analysis to the production floor: the sample dish is placed on the turntable, the instrument recognises it and begins analysis, and a full result set arrives in seconds with all parameters measured simultaneously. Dedicated versions cover food, meat and bulk or powdered products. For continuous control, the Nordson Series 9 gauge is suspended above the line and measures constantly as product passes beneath it, feeding data directly into process control rather than waiting for a sample to be pulled and tested. The choice is largely about where in the process a deviation needs to be caught: at-line suits sample-based QC, inline suits catching drift the moment it happens.
Why NIR Extends Beyond Food
The same measurement principle applies wherever moisture or composition needs checking without contact, which is why PrediktIR II applies the same Series 9 light engine to bulk moisture in powders, flakes, granules, paper, film and coated products — industrial and converting applications well outside food. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, moisture measurement in powders and industrial materials follows the same logic as it does in food: a non-destructive reading, taken in seconds, that replaces slower wet chemistry without sacrificing accuracy. It is this range — food, pharma, industrial and converting — that distinguishes EMCO's NIR offering from a single-sector instrument.
Key Points
- Measures moisture, fat and oil, protein, collagen, colour, degree of bake and degree of roast
- Results in around five seconds with all parameters measured together
- Non-contact and non-destructive, with no reagents or consumables
- At-line InfraLab analysers for food, meat and bulk or powdered products
- Inline Nordson Series 9 gauges for continuous over-the-belt measurement
- PrediktIR II for bulk moisture in industrial and converting applications
- Unaffected by ambient light, temperature, humidity or product height variation
- Storage for up to 10,000 sample files with encrypted USB and network export
- Replaces loss-on-drying, Karl Fischer, gravimetric, Soxhlet and Kjeldahl methods
- Multiple gauges networkable with closed-loop control connectivity
FAQs About Near Infrared Measurement And NIR Analysers
What does near infrared measurement actually measure?
Moisture, fat and oil, protein, collagen, colour and degree of bake or roast, depending on the instrument and calibration. All parameters are measured at the same time from a single reading rather than by separate tests.
How does NIR compare with loss-on-drying or Kjeldahl?
The result is comparable but arrives in about five seconds instead of hours, with no reagents, no sample preparation and no laboratory technician. NIR is designed as a routine replacement for loss-on-drying, Karl Fischer and gravimetric moisture testing, and for Soxhlet, Weibull-Stoldt and Kjeldahl fat and protein analysis.
Should we choose an at-line or inline instrument?
At-line analysers suit sample-based QC where you test at intervals and want laboratory accuracy near the line. Inline gauges suit continuous processes where you want to see deviation the moment it happens and feed the reading into process control.
Does the product need to be a uniform sample?
Not necessarily. The top loader analyser is designed specifically for bulk, powdered and semi-solid products that are hard to present with a uniform surface, and inline gauges tolerate product height variation of plus or minus 100mm.
Which industries use NIR measurement?
Bakery, breakfast cereals, coffee and cocoa, confectionery, dairy and dairy powders, cheese, meat processing, savoury snacks and crisps, flour and grain, starch and sugar processing, olive oil extraction and animal feed. PrediktIR II extends the same technology to paper, film, coatings and other converting applications.
How much training does an operator need?
Very little. The sample is placed on the turntable and the instrument starts automatically, so the main requirement is consistent sampling rather than instrument skill. Set-up and calibration are straightforward.
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