FOSS FoodScan NIR meat analyser receives AOAC approval

The FOSS FoodScan Near Infrared (NIR) analyser has received AOAC approval for the analysis of moisture, fat, and protein in meat and meat products using FOSS artificial neural network (ANN) prediction models. The method number is 2007-04. The approval allows food producers to exploit the leading meat analytical solution with full confidence in an officially approved method. FoodScan is the only NIR analyser for meat analysis with this approval. Established method: FoodScan is a popular NIR analytical solution widely used in the food industry. It is supplied with comprehensive ANN calibrations guaranteeing consistent analysis results across different instruments and locations. A common use is in routine production control where it helps to optimise the ratio between cheaper fat and more expensive lean meat with associated cost savings and improved product consistency. The AOAC approval provides credibility for the extended use of FoodScan in support of quality control operations. FoodScan users can now refer to a documented and tested method, for example, when dealing with product labelling issues. Food producers using FoodScan can also enjoy greater confidence in providing their customers with reliable information based on an approved method. Collaborative study: The AOAC approval is based on a collaborate study involving 15 laboratories in the USA, all of which are existing FoodScan users. A total of 17 instruments were involved, two of the laboratories had two instruments and ran the sample set on both instruments. Ten different samples covering beef, pork, poultry, finishing products and in-process emulsions, representing a wide range in composition were used. They were sent to the collaborators as blind sample pairs making a total of 20 test samples.