Selection of Instrumental Method
Ton van Vliet · 2013
The selection of a suitable instrumental measuring method to determine the rheological and fracture properties of foods is essential for obtain-ing the required information. It is just as essential as the selection of the preparation procedure of the test specimens and of the testing conditions (e.g., measuring temperature). This selection procedure must be the end point of a fixed procedure that involves the following questions: 1. What is the purpose of the measurement? Is it necessary to determine the fundamental rheological/fracture parameters, or will a global impression of the mechanical behavior of the food or raw material suffice in the context of a quality check? If one wants to be able to compare results from different tests using a different apparatus unequivocally and indifferently if the tests are executed at the same or at different places, the determination of fundamental rheological/ fracture parameters is nearly always a prerequisite. This is also the case if the goal is to understand the relation between structure and the mechanical properties of a material or to instill quality control. This often requires the combination of different tests. If the aim is to perform a quality check, a well-standardized measurement, with a socalled empirical test method, may often suffice. For such a measurement, the main requirement is that the test must determine a relevant characteristic of the product under relevant conditions.