Using principal component analysis, FOSS Analytical has shown that it is possible to use IR spectroscopy to analyze raw milk before it reaches supermarket shelves.
Natural raw milk has a unique "fingerprint"--a particular spectrum that identifies it as pure, raw milk. Through the use of infrared (IR) spectroscopy, scientists can detect whether a milk sample is contaminated long before it reaches supermarket shelves as either milk products or powdered milk. Using the devices developed by FOSS, if the spectrum from the sample being tested does not match the known spectrum for milk, the instrument will give a warning immediately.
According to Torben Ladegaard, chief operating officer for FOSS (Hillerød, Denmark), "In the world's food production sector, it's crucial to have systems capable of identifying authentic raw materials to ensure that food quality and safety requirements are met."
The main advantages of IR spectroscopy are its speed, good resolution, cost-effectiveness, and the fact that it is a nondestructive technique. There is the potential for this technique to be used to analyze a wide range of compounds, which can be very helpful in the area of worldwide food safety.
Getting accurate IR spectra on monolayer of molecules
April 18th 2024Creating uniform and repeatable monolayers is incredibly important for both scientific pursuits as well as the manufacturing of products in semiconductor, biotechnology, and. other industries. However, measuring monolayers and functionalized surfaces directly is. difficult, and many rely on a variety of characterization techniques that when used together can provide some degree of confidence. By combining non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) and IR spectroscopy, IR PiFM provides sensitive and accurate analysis of sub-monolayer of molecules without the concern of tip-sample cross contamination. Dr. Sung Park, Molecular Vista, joined Spectroscopy to provide insights on how IR PiFM can acquire IR signature of monolayer films due to its unique implementation.