Microwave sensor - fat chance!
29 Oct 2007 by Evoluted New Media
They might be ideal for that last minute instant meal, but now researchers are hoping that the trusty microwave could be used to determine how much fat and salt is in your food.
They might be ideal for that last minute instant meal, but now researchers are hoping that the trusty microwave could be used to determine how much fat and salt is in your food.
The Microwave Profiler project began when researchers realised that as microwaves heat different types of food at different rates, they must also be sensitive to food content such as water, salt and fat.
Member of the research team, PhD student Sing Kwei Ng said: “The meat industry is under extreme pressure to find new cost effective methods of meat quality evaluation at every level of food processing. Knowledge of the fat content of meat products is critical.
“The potential of our system to overcome current technical barriers to practical measuring instruments could significantly impact upon food processing and reprocessing technology.”
The aim of the project - led by Professor Andrew Gibson from The University of Manchester’s Microwave and Communication Group - is to develop a new fast and non-invasive method of predicting the fat content in meat products.
This type of constant real-time monitoring during the production process could help reduce waste, maximise yield, reduce laboratory testing and save energy.
Sing Kwei said: “Greater awareness regarding food safety and health issues means that consumers are now more concerned than ever about meat products being safe and fresh with a low fat content. Food contents and ingredients now have to be disclosed under the European Union legislation but cannot currently be measured quickly or cost-effectively.”
The research team has carried out successful pilot studies to determine the fibre content in waste products produced by the brewing industry, the moisture content in wheat grain and the salt content of supermarket food. However, they say more research on the capabilities of microwave sensors in industrial conditions is needed before the method can be properly introduced.
The teams award-winning paper detailing initial results was be presented at the LMC Congress: Innovations in Food Technology conference in Denmark last month.
