Cibus Tec 2007, technology at the service of food

Raytec Vision and Fbr-Elpo exhibit their latest technological gems

The place: Parma. The date: 17th October. The event: Cibus Tec 2007, Italy's most important food processing and packaging technology fair.
By presenting cutting-edge technologies and methods that are complementary, Cibus Tec provides an excellent integrated overview of the entire production cycle, as a matter of fact, the fair is divided into three main sections: Tecnoconserve, which focuses on food preservation, Milc, for the dairy area, and Multitecno for inter-industrial and production chain technologies. This 2007 edition is expected to attract visitors from over one hundred countries; they can look forward to a packed programme of conventions and workshops (in addition to three theme-based days dedicated to tomato, milk and salami processing respectively).
A not-to-be-missed fair, then, for Sacmi, which will be heading for this Emilia-based city in strength with Raytec Vision, at Hall 6 stand G006, and Fbr-Elpo, at Hall 6 stand H006.

The latter, a specialised producer of tomato and fruit processing plants and aseptic filling machines/plants based in Parma, will be exhibiting the following machines.

• A single-head aseptic AS-I1000/2 filler (ideal for filling aseptic bags with capacities of up to 1000 litres with liquid and semi-liquid products and mixes with pieces in suspension).
• A bag-in-box AS-I-30/WEB filler for 5, 10 and 25-litre bags that is continuously conveyor-fed (widely used in the dairy field for aseptic UHT milk, milk-shake and cream filling) and an integrated compact aseptic SR6.150/200 for sterilisation and aseptic filling. This machine, a number of variants of which have been designed, has enjoyed considerable market success for some years now thanks to the following advantages: compactness, reduced cost, greater practicality and outstanding reliability.

Raytec - a Sacmi Group company – is the industry's leading designer of optical systems for fresh/frozen/dried food quality control and also the leading producer of X-ray inspection systems especially suited to food safety checks. Raytec will be exhibiting its two latest creations: Discovery and Rayview.
Discovery is a new optical sorter for high-quantity production of legumes and diced fruit and vegetables: featuring Blueight technology, this machine can eliminate insects and other foreign bodies from spinach and various salads at output rates of up to 5 tons per hour!

Rayview, instead, is an innovative X-Ray analysis unit for the elimination of faulty glass bottles and jars. It uses "Panoramic Vision" of the container bottom and has new CVS software that runs on the Windows operating system. Moreover, this new compact, integrated system provides the user with both the lamp and high voltage generator functions and, to enhance practicality even further, the contaminated jar rejection device on Rayview is fitted externally.

Sacmi Imola and Sacmi Packaging fly to Houston

NIR Case sorter and TF12 automatic forming machine on show at PMA Fresh Summit

Over 500,000 square metres of ideas for the fruit and vegetable market, with 17,000 visitors from over 70 countries: this, in a nutshell, is the PMA Fresh Summit, the international fair-cum-convention that will be held in the Texan city of Houston from 12th to 15th October.

Of the two thousand companies participating in the event – organized by the American Product Marketing Association – a good 800 will be doing so in the role of exhibitor. This is a not-to-be-missed event for the Sacmi Group, which will be flying to Houston with the Sacmi Imola Automation Division and Sacmi Packaging. Attending with their relative sales teams, both companies will be exhibiting technological gems of huge interest to the fruit and vegetable industry.

Sacmi Imola will be showing visitors – both Texan and international – two NIR Case inspection units. Already tested successfully on major international markets, the portable NIR Case allows the main internal parameters affecting fruit and vegetable quality to be measured in the field, at the supermarket or at storage facilities. Easy to use and transport, it does not damage products and allows their compliance with quality standards to be tested fast and accurately.

Sacmi Packaging, instead, will be showing visitors to the PMA Fresh Summit an automatic TF12 machine, ideal for the formation of corrugated cardboard trays complete with upper straps. The TF12 will be exhibited together with relative stacker, a PS43 model, for vertical stacking of ready trays and separation of individual lots. Featuring flexible size changeover and low noise levels, the TF12 ensures reliability and excellent output capacity (up to 40 pieces per minute).

London: Europe’s fruit and vegetable showcase

Sacmi to exhibit two portable NIR case quality control units

For two days – from 21^st to 22^nd October - London will be hosting the World Fruit & Vegetable Show, the key international showcase dedicated to the fruit and vegetable industry. A mouth-watering opportunity not only for visitors but also fruit/vegetable processing machine producers as they will be exhibiting their wares to potential customers - from large-scale retail chains to food companies - from all over the world.

Sacmi - located on Stand 204, on a 15m² exhibition area – will be exhibiting two portable NIR Case sorting units. The market leader in vision systems applicable to the fruit and vegetable sector, Sacmi Imola has successfully tested this technology on major international markets. Featuring technology able to precision-detect – without damaging the fruit – the internal parameters of the fruit, the NIR Case is extremely user-friendly and, above all, easy to transport. It can thus be used with ease on supermarket shelves, in warehouses or directly in the field.

The organisers of this London-based fair expect at least 500 exhibitors to attend, and total floor space to exceed eight thousand square metres. Just as importantly, over 10,000 visitors are expected. This ambitious fair has set itself the goal of organising as many business-to-business meetings as possible, a key objective as fruit and vegetable consumption – and, therefore, the related areas of packaging, logistics and quality control – are expanding in all European countries.

Near Infrared Analysis

Near-infrared analysis (NIRA) is an analytical technique which uses the diffuse reflectance of a sample to determine spectrophotometrically the chemical concentrations or physical properties of a sample. Because NIRA uses a series of multiple linear regressions to deduce automatically corrections for background or sample-matrix interferences. it can analyze many sample types that would be difficult by another spectroscopic technique. An automatic correction of interferences allows NIRA to operate independently of fully understood chemistry or spectroscopy. The present work lists and defines the practical considerations involved in developing and utilizing NIRA as well as presenting a cross-section of current applications. Among the considerations addressed are selecting the analyte. choosing “training” samples, and creating a calibration Throughout each discussion, the advantages of NIRA are detailed.

Sacmi know-how at Macfrut 2007, Cesena

NIR technology: fruit and vegetable quality control - from field to retail

Macfrut, the international fair dedicated to fruit and vegetable production, held in Cesena from 26th to 28th April 2007, proved to be the ideal showcase for Sacmi. Here, in Hall B on stands 188-189-190, we presented several solutions, covering everything from in-the-field inspection to packaging, providing visitors with a panorama of Sacmi's highly innovative fruit and vegetable processing know-how.

Pride of place went to the grader, developed via a joint technical-sales agreement between Sacmi and Sammo, a leading producer of fruit and vegetable processing machines. The exhibited grader, in fact, features advanced NIR (near infrared spectroscopy) technology: this allows detailed, non-destructive quality assessment of fruit and vegetable lots. NIR technology is suited to the needs of the entire fruit and vegetable production cycle as it allows the user to measure classic quality parameters such as brix and hardness and define new ones, such as dry content, starch, pulp colour etc.

A section of the stand was set aside for the portable version of this technology, the Nir Case: as the name suggests, this is a compact carry-case that lets the user evaluate quality in the field, the warehouse, during distribution and in the sales outlet.

Sacmi technology at the service of “goddess Pomona”

A Nir Case and Eos 835 olfactory system on show at Bologna University Library

Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit, can, in this day and age, count on additional powers – the ones provided by science and technology, thanks to which fruit growing and processing has become a profession, almost an art form. Hence the exhibition "Museum Fruits: science and art at the service of Pomona". Organised by the National Agricultural Academy, the exhibition will be held at the Bologna University Library in via Zamboni 25, from 12th April to 12th May.

And speaking of science "at the service of Pomona", visitors will also be able to admire two technological jewels from Sacmi. First of all, there is the NIR Case, a portable unit – with the appropriate motto "technology at your fingertips" – containing all the tools needed for comprehensive fruit quality control, allowing the user to test everything from sugar content to ripeness, acidity and glassiness. Usable both directly in the field or in warehouses, storage areas or supermarkets, it has been designed by Sacmi as a quality control tool that can be used from the farm to the retail outlet.

In addition to NIR Case there is also the Eos 835 electronic olfactory system: used to carry out quality control in the lab, it can also be installed on production lines for efficient control of food processing in general, fruit included, of course. Eos features sophisticated thin semi-conductor metallic oxide film sensors inside a patented measuring cell. In practice, after "inhaling" the sample to be analysed, the sensors interact with the odorous molecules by varying their electrical conductivity; special algorithms are then used to process the gathered data.

The exhibition, organised by the professor emeritus of Bologna University, Enrico Baldini, takes place on what is a special anniversary, the two hundredth of the founding of the National Agricultural Academy. Entry is free of charge and the exhibition is open from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (to 2 p.m. on Saturday).

Sacmi solutions for the fruit and vegetable sector

Nir technology on show at Fruit Logistica 2007 in Berlin

Sacmi will soon be putting its products on show at the prestigious Fruit Logistica showcase, the international fruit and vegetable processing exhibition to be held in Berlin from 8th to 10th February 2007. In Hall 2.2, on stands A-11 and B-07, the company will exhibit several solutions so as to give a panoramic view of its most innovative fruit and vegetable processing know-how, from in-the-field monitoring to final packaging.

In Berlin the star of the show will be the grader, jointly developed, through a technical-commercial agreement, by Sacmi and Sammo, a producer of fruit and vegetable processing machines. The exhibited grader features Nir (near infrared spectroscopy) technology, which allows for comprehensive non-destructive inspection and quality control of fruit and vegetable lots.

Nir technology is suitable for use throughout the fruit and vegetable production process as it not only measures classic quality parameters like brix and hardness but also gauges new ones such as dry substance, starch, pulp colour etc. A part of the stand will be set aside for a demonstration of the portable version of this technology, the Nir Case, a practical briefcase that allows quality to be monitored in the field, in storage facilities, on the distribution platform and at the point of sale.

Two more machines complete the range of technological gems being presented by the Group at Fruit Logistica 2007. Firstly there is the Sacmi Packaging "TF12 evoluzione", a cutting-edge automatic forming machine that can make corrugated cardboard trays with upper containment flaps. Secondly, Raytec Vision will be presenting the Spray optical sorter: here, detailed ultra-high definition cameras – Raytec's 'secret weapon' – detect even minimum colour differences on the products, thus taking fruit and vegetable quality control/safety to yet another level.

Ecomondo 2006, the first “electronic nose”

Sacmi presents Eos Ambiente, the odorous emissions monitoring instrument

Advanced pollutant monitoring centres that can intercept and classify even the most microscopic grain of pm10 and provide ARPA (the Italian environmental control agency), town councils and other institutions with real-time alerts: yet no instrument able to detect and classify odours, especially those unpleasant ones.
This problem – a considerable one for people living near distilleries, slaughterhouses, refuse dumps, composting plants, animal farms and so on – is resolved with the technologically advanced Sacmi-developed prototype, EOS Ambiente: "This is an innovative tool", explains R&D Manager Andrea Bresciani, "for the continuous external monitoring of odorous emissions at sites with a high olfactory impact".
The instrument will be presented for the very first time at the 10th edition of Ecomondo, the fair dedicated to the recovery and re-utilisation of materials and energy to be held in Rimini from 8th to 11th November. Sacmi will be in Hall A7, stand 114: "This is", explains Bresciani, "an outstanding opportunity: we have already sent out over 400 invitations to town councils and plant managers and expect a positive response".
Technically, the instrument incorporates the Sacmi Group's long-standing experience in control systems, especially as regards the technology needed to develop the gas sensors that Sacmi supplies to the food industry for quality control purposes. "Over the last few years, however", points out Bresciani, "we have also been contacted by those working in the environmental sector". Hence the construction of prototypes and the development of EOS Ambiente, made by Sacmi together with Progress Srl, a company based in both Milan and Rome that specialises in control systems for waste disposal plants and biological waste treatment.
The olfactory instrument 'calibration' process is particularly interesting. "These instruments", explains Bresciani, "are calibrated in the lab on the basis of what we call dynamic olfactometric tests". In practice, a panel of flesh-and-blood 'odour analysts' will 'sniff' air that has been contaminated by a bad smell: the mix is diluted with clean air until the smell drops below the perception threshold. "Establishing how much dilution needs to occur before this happens", underlines Bresciani, "means measuring odour concentrations as per EN 13725:2003; these same samples are then used to calibrate the electronic system".
Hence the development of EOS Ambiente, an instrument that automatically detects odour concentrations and remote-transmits the data: in short, a boon for plant managers and all those bodies whose task it is to safeguard the environment.

First “Sammeet” workshop generates high attendance

Event dedicated to fruit and vegetable production and relations with retail chains.

"Sammeet", the first workshop dedicated to the fruit and vegetable industry and relations with the major retail chains - organised by Sammogroup together with SACMI Imola – turned out to be quite a success. Held on Friday 4th April, the event was, in fact, attended by over 150 industry operators, sub-divided into representatives of fruit and vegetable producers and representatives of large-scale retail outlets, from all over Europe and beyond.

The debate, titled "Technology: cost or added value for the fruit and vegetable system?", highlighted the importance of technology, a key component when it comes to sustaining competitiveness in the fruit and vegetable system. The event got under way with talks from the Managing Director of Sammogroup, Omar Papi, the Manager of SACMI's Control Systems and Automation Division, Dario Beltrandi, and Professor Roberto Della Casa, the event moderator.

The first workshop session involved representatives from fruit and vegetable producers such as Gianni Amidei of Agrintesa, Giancarlo Ivo Battistini of Apofruit Italia, Giampaolo Nasi of Campofrigo, Mauro Battistini of Orogel Fresco and the Spaniards José Maria Morote of Molinense Producciones Naturales and José Rodriguez Carrascal of the Five Senses Group. All of them underlined the need to provide fruit and vegetable customers with quality while taking every possible precaution to contain ever-increasing costs.

The second "Sammeet" session, instead, offered retail representatives the chance to be heard. Talks were given by Roberto Fiammenghi of Coop Italia, Claudio Gamberini of Conad and, for the UK, Tim Espley and Andrew Sharp of Mack Multiples and Paul Fowler of Valefresh Limited. The speakers highlighted the key role played by technology in improving product stock management so as to ensure a more efficient response to frequent variations in demand (a growing trend in Great Britain); this ensures less product waste and, in keeping with the stated goals of fruit and vegetable distribution representatives, greater product quality.

Following the recently launched Sammo-Sacmi technical-commercial partnership, which focussed on the market launch of a line of sorters able to ensure the effective quality of fruit and vegetables via non-destructive analysis carried out by a NIR (Near Infra Red) system, several products were on display. These included a Sammo size grader with external defect vision system equipped with a NIR BOX for assessment of internal parameters (sugar content, ripeness and any defects), developed by Sacmi for fruits large and small. Next to this was a table for demonstration of the NIR CASE, an indispensable high-tech portable tool for non-destructive fruit quality control «from the field to the warehouse».

System offers cost effective fat content monitoring, says FOSS

The new XDS Direct Light system provides accurate bulk of the fat content in ground meat on the processing employment as justly as offering cost savings to processors, claims FOSS.

Controlling fat content is important for food processors that need to make secure the nature of the meat used in recipes and to comply with aliment legislation. Analysis is likewise important in making products that claim to have low oleaginous content

Consumers expect that what is declared of meat content (or fat content) in continuance the product label is correct, regardless if it is a pack of 500 gram minced meat, a bale of sausages or a pack of burgers.

Technology

Poul Erik Simonson, market manager FOSS told FoodProductionDaily.com that the XDS Direct Light arrangement is one of its new formation of in-line analyzers for the food industry based on the smart use of intimate infrared reflection (NIR) analysis technology.

He said that the XDS Direct Light system consists of a near infrared scanning device and process control software, enabling the surface of ground meat to subsist continuously scanned as it flows through the production proceeding to reveal information about its fat content.

Simonson explained that the device have power to be installed above a grinder outlet to scan the meat and the results of the measurements taken by the agency of reason of the period of the processing of a batch are shown on a touch screen, thus allowing the operator to adjust the batch corpulent if necessary.

NIR or allied by blood infrared transmission (NIT), microwave and x-radiation have become three of the most widespread techniques used by processors to incline fat content in sorted raw meat.

Process control

"FOSS has vast experience in this area coupled with a longstanding association with the meat industry, including a valuable knowledge of everyday challenges and demands. The result is a system that makes process control further accessible to nutriment producers," claims Simonson.

He said that the new technology is in a high degree. accurate and is the only full-scanning monocromator based system available in the market for meat analysis.

Cost savings

According to Simonson, the XDS Direct Light system helps the processor to avoid using more of the expensive raw material (the lean meat) than needed, thus ensuring the processor can maximize the use of fat/fatty trimmings according to the specifications:

"By being ingenious to monitor the fat-content of the batch in 'real time', the operator will be able to optimize the use of the damp material."

Simonson claims the new system has a better transferability of data between instruments due to hardware standardization and one of the biggest advantages of the XDS Direct Light system is the reduced calibration costs it provides.

Small footprint

He said that as the system has a small footprint and is easy to integrate into existing process setups, it is ideal since small and mid-sized producers seeking a productive control system that does not require in-house experts or lengthy installation:

"The software supplied with the XDS Direct Light system can be used by production personnel and requires little prior training and the interface can be customised to specific requirements."

The software also includes recommendations for operators on how to gain the defined fat content target level for example well as enabling intuitive recipe handling, according to the company.

Simonson said that the XDS Direct Light system can be adapted to also monitor protein and moisture in ground meat through calibration expanding:

"The system is collecting spectra from the meat it is scanning and this includes information on the point the content of protein and moisture."

He added that all measurements can be stored in the system for up to a year, thus enabling traceability of products.

Regulation

Since July 2003, the EU restricted the exact meaning of meat to mean the skeletal-attached muscles. Other animal parts such for example fat and offal bring forth to have existence labelled as such and not as 'meat'. Fat that adheres to the muscles may be treated as meat, make subservient to the maximum limits determined by the EU's directive.

The code also requires processors to label their products with the percentages of muscle-meat, oily or offal satisfaction. The directive applies to products that contain meat as an ingredient, while meat sold without further processing is excluded.

Cattle Profit Tip: Understanding A Forage Analysis

Livestock are most productive when fed a ration balanced according to their nutrient needs. Unfortunately, many rations are balanced using average values for each feedstuff. These so-called "book values" often result in over- or under-feeding certain nutrients. More economical and better balanced diets can be formulated using nutrient concentrations determined from feed analysis.

Methods of Feed Testing

Once a feed sample has been collected properly, it can be analyzed for nutrients. Most commercial laboratories offer standard feed tests for forages, grains, or total mixed rations. Analyzing feeds for moisture, protein, and energy is recommended when designing diets for beef cattle. Typically, results are reported on an as-is and dry matter basis. Nutrients should always be balanced in a diet on a dry-matter basis because nutrient requirements for beef are reported on a dry-matter basis. After formulation on a dry-matter basis, values can be converted to an as-is basis, using the moisture content of the feed, to determine the actual amount of feed (as-is) that should be fed or delivered.

Sight, smell, and touch are useful, although frequently misleading, indicators of feed value. Stage of maturity at harvest, foreign material or pests, color, and leafiness can be detected visually and provide some limited information on the nutritional value of feed. Musty and foul odors can indicate lower quality due to deterioration in storage. Physical evaluations alone rarely are sufficient for predicting eventual animal performance, partly because of the lack of a good means of measuring such qualities as color and leafiness.

Nutrient analyses most commonly are done by chemically reacting or extracting important compounds in a laboratory and determining their amount in the feed. When representative feed samples are tested chemically, accurate predictions of animal performance usually can be made because the nutrient requirements also were determined using chemically tested feeds.

Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy is a rapid, reliable, low-cost, computerized method to analyze feeds for their nutrient content. It uses near infrared light rather than chemicals to identify important compounds and measure their amount in a sample. Feeds can be analyzed in less than 15 minutes using NIR, compared to hours or days for chemical methods. This rapid turnaround and the resulting cost savings in labor make NIR an attractive method of analysis. When sending a sample in to be tested using NIR it is important to identify the type of feed/forage being submitted so as to make sure that the right feed library is used. This method will not accurately evaluate a full mineral profile of a sample. However, NIR does appear to fairly accurate determine calcium and phosphorus.

NIR does not do an adequate job of measuring the energy (TDN) content of the distillers grains that are feed byproducts from the ethanol industry. In an NIR analysis, TDN is estimated using ADF. ADF measures cell wall content of a feed. Distillers grains are high in fat; therefore, NIR will underestimate their energy content. NIR will adequately measure moisture, percent crude protein, calcium, and phosphorus in distillers grains.

Nutrients of primary concern in developing diets for beef cows are moisture content, percent crude protein, and energy (%TDN). Relative Feed Value (RFV) is important for dairy cattle because Relative Feed Value (RFV) and Relative Feed Quality (RFQ) are indicators of forage digestibility and therefore forage intake. For beef cattle, RFV and RFQ are not used in ration formulation.

Interpreting Test Results Important in Designing Diets for Beef Cows

Dry matter is the moisture-free content of the sample. Because moisture dilutes the concentration of nutrients but does not have a major influence on intake it is important to always balance and evaluate rations on a dry-matter basis.

Crude protein measures the proportion of nitrogen in a feedstuff multiplied by 6.25 and this includes both true protein and non-protein nitrogen. In ruminants, evaluation of the fraction that is degradable in the rumen, degradable intake protein (DIP), versus the rumen-undegradable fraction, undegradable intake protein (UIP; by pass protein), is also important. However, the rumen degradability of protein is not measured in most commercial labs. Therefore, it is recommended that rations be formulated using analyzed CP values and average values for DIP and UIP that can be found in the 1996 National Research Council Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle Nitrogen that has become chemically linked to carbohydrates and thus does not contribute to either DIP or UIP supply and is called Heat Damaged Protein or Insoluble Crude Protein (ICP). This linkage is mainly due to overheating when hay is baled or stacked with greater than 20% moisture, or when silage is harvested at less than 65% moisture. Feedstuffs with high ICP are often discolored and have distinctly sweet odors in many cases. When the ratio of ICP:CP is 0.1 or greater, meaning more than 10% of the CP is unavailable, the crude protein value is adjusted. Adjusted crude protein (ACP; see below) values should be used for ration formulation.

Adjusted Crude Protein (ACP) is the crude protein corrected for ICP. In most nutrient analysis reports, when ACP is greater than 10% of CP, the adjusted value is reported. This value should be used in formulating rations when ICP:CP is greater than 0.1.

Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) is the sum of the digestible fiber, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components of a feedstuff or diet. TDN is directly related to digestible energy and is often calculated based on ADF. TDN is useful for beef cow rations that are primarily forage. TDN values tend to under-predict the feeding value of concentrate relative to forage. The NIR analysis method does not estimate the energy (TDN) content to wet (WDGS) or dry (DDGS) distillers grains plus solubles very well. Our data suggests that suggest that WGDS and DDGS are 125% the energy value of corn in forage diets. Therefore if corn is 90% TDN on a dry matter basis then WDGS is 112.5% TDN (90% x 1.25)

Relative Feed Value (RFV) is a prediction of feeding value that combines estimated intake (NDF) and estimated digestibility (ADF) into a single index. RFV is used to evaluate legume hay. RFV is often used as a benchmark of quality when buying or selling alfalfa hay. RFV of feedstuffs other than alfalfa is not relevant. RFV is not used for ration formulation.

Sampling forages and understanding a forage analysis will result in supplementation strategies that meet the cows' nutrient requirements, but also will impact profit potential of the enterprise. Over supplementation results in increased input costs without increases in animal performance.

Source: Nebraska Ag Extension, Rick Rasby

The First Asian NIR Symposium 10-14 Nov 2008

Near infra-red analysis of grass silage by principal component analysis of transformed reflectance data

Most of the observed variation between n.i.r. spectra in any sample collection is due to particle size variation; in addition, absorbance readings are highly inter-correlated. Application of multiple linear regression techniques to such spectral data produces a multiplicity of solutions which vary in the wavelengths selected and in predictive accuracy. Evaluation of all or most of these calibrations requires a significant amount of time. In the present study, alternative data treatment methods are described which reduce the effect of particle size variations, select only those wavelengths which contain significant information, and overcome the problem of inter-correlation by means of principal component analysis. These methods were applied to the analysis of dried silage for crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD); accuracy of the novel data treatments (best standard error of prediction of CP and IVDMD equal to 0.63 and 2.7, respectively) was better than that generally achieved by more conventional statistical techniques.

Orthogonal signal correction of near-infrared spectra

Near-infrared (NIR) spectra are often pre-processed in order to remove systematic noise such as base-line variation and multiplicative scatter effects. This is done by differentiating the spectra to first or second derivatives, by multiplicative signal correction (MSC), or by similar mathematical filtering methods. This pre-processing may, however, also remove information from the spectra regarding Y (the measured response variable in multivariate calibration applications). We here show how a variant of PLS can be used to achieve a signal correction that is as close to orthogonal as possible to a given Y-vector or Y-matrix. Thus, one ensures that the signal correction removes as little information as possible regarding Y. In the case when the number of X-variables (K) exceeds the number of observations (N), strict orthogonality is obtained. The approach is called orthogonal signal correction (OSC) and is here applied to four different data sets of multivariate calibration. The results are compared with those of traditional signal correction as well as with those of no pre-processing, and OSC is shown to give substantial improvements. Prediction sets of new data, not used in the model development, are used for the comparisons.

TUNABLE SOURCES: Telecom laser investments pay off in near-IR instrumentation

A fortunate ancillary benefit of the massive investment in telecommunications sources has been in other areas requiring tunability at similar wavelengths such as measurement and fiber-optic sensing systems.
STEPHEN KREGER
Before the peak of the telecom investment bubble, tunable lasers were seen as a key network component that would increase network reliability and reduce costs of spare lasers. Startups like Iolon and Agility easily attracted investments in the tens of millions of dollars at each round of funding; even corporate giants such as Intel poured money into research and development. But the telecom tunable laser boom did not materialize as planned, mostly because of rapidly declining costs and improved reliability of arrays of fixed-wavelength distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers. After years of consolidation among tunable laser manufacturers, a number of vendors still survived, in part by taking advantage of higher margins afforded by integrating their products into test equipment, such as Luna's optical-backscatter-reflectometry technology, and by tailoring their designs and lowering costs for applications outside the telecom market.
Beyond telecom
One technological area that has benefited greatly from this surge of investment in tunable laser development is scanning laser interferometry. Conventional scanning interferometers rely on a broadband light source and a variable free-space path length reference arm; but space limitations, reliability, and stability concerns often limit the practicality of these interferometers, especially in field-portable equipment. Interferometers using a continuously tunable laser can have an all-optical fiber path with a fixed-length reference arm, enabling a much more compact and rugged design.
Scanning laser interferometry, in the form of optical-frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR), has proved useful in recent years for telecom test equipment as well as for sensing instrumentation. In OFDR, the optical frequency is swept and the response of a device under test (DUT) is recorded to shed information (such as fault location) about the DUT. Prior to the advent of robust, reasonably priced, and reliable tunable lasers roughly ten years ago, OFDR usually required amplitude modulating a fixed-wavelength laser source to produce wavelength-tunable sidebands. The sideband wavelength was swept by varying the modulation frequency, and the optical response to such a source could be analyzed to judge basic DUT parameters such as reflection amplitude and distance. However, spatial resolution was limited to on the order of a centimeter by practical modulation frequency limitations.
Wide-band continuously tunable lasers not only produced far better spatial resolution but also allowed significant improvement in sensitivity and range. Instruments based on tunable-laser OFDR technology can fully characterize the optical linear-transfer functions of components and systems, can detail reflection events with 10 µm resolution to a range of 70 m (or millimeter-level resolution with a range up to 2 km), and can analyze optical-fiber Rayleigh scatter and highly multiplexed fiber Bragg gratings to deduce distributed optical fiber temperature, strain, and even shape.1-3 While this technology has found a home in telecom test equipment, the technology is still quite young and the market potential outside telecom for instruments based on tunable lasers is vast, from trouble-shooting networks for fiber deployed in ships and aircraft, to characterizing optical-fiber-sensing catheters, to sensing shape for medical and industrial markets. To penetrate these markets, however, certain tradeoffs are required in tunable-laser cavity and driver-circuit design.
Design trade-off requirements
Only a small portion of commercially available tunable lasers are suitable for scanning-laser interferometery. Some of the key attributes for tunable lasers used for test and sensing instrumentation include single-mode operation, mode-hop-free tuning over as wide a range as possible, narrow linewidth, low optical-frequency noise, and quick tuning rate. Optical power requirements are often modest, but power stability, low relative-intensity noise, and high side-mode-suppression ratios are helpful. Small size, low power consumption and shock/vibration tolerance are crucial for portable field-use instrumentation. Performance must typically be traded for small size and low power consumption, since shorter cavity lengths can lead to a higher quantum-limited optical-frequency-noise floor and high-speed drive electronics are generally less power efficient.
A wide variety of commercial tunable-laser designs have emerged in the last decade, but few exhibit all of the requirements for instrumentation based on scanning laser interferometry. Mechanically tuned etalon external-cavity lasers can be inexpensive, quick, and robust, but typically operate in multiple modes or exhibit frequent mode hops. A novel temperature-tuned dual-etalon vernier design is inexpensive and rugged, but tuning is slow and better suited for stepping and parking functions. Injected-current-tuned DFBs can provide extremely fast tuning with a wide range, but closely spaced mode hops rule out useful continuous sweeping. However, tunable external-cavity diode lasers can meet the requirements of scanning laser interferometers, and the most popular and successful version of this laser type is the Littman-Metcalf cavity. This design uses a wideband optical-gain chip and a pivoting dispersion-grating/external-mirror pair to tune the selected cavity wavelength. Popular tuning mechanisms include but are not limited to servo motors, magnetically actuated voice coils, and electrostatic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) motors.
External-cavity tunable lasers
These Littman-Metcalf external-cavity tunable lasers typically exhibit moderate power and excellent mode-hope-free tuning range, with good linewidth and low noise. However, in some cases component size limits tuning speed and ruggedness. A good example is the voice-coil tuning mechanism: because the tuning rate is proportional to the integral of the drive current and a relatively large magnet mass can build significant inertia, this actuator is capable of very smooth tuning with very low optical-frequency noise. But the same properties that lower noise also tend to make the design hard to miniaturize, relatively slow, and difficult to protect against sudden external acceleration.
At the other size extreme, using an electrostatic MEMS motor to tune the mirror-grating coupling angle gives the laser potential for fast scans (up to the motor resonance) and can allow the laser to fit in a very small package that is more easily isolated from shock and vibration--key advantages when considering source candidates for portable applications and in high-vibration environments. These advantages prompted Luna Technologies to license the former Iolon "Apollo" laser design in late 2006 and restart production with a manufacturing partner in late 2007.
The most important factor in determining end-system performance in scanning laser interferometery and spectroscopy is the ability to know the laser wavelength as a function of time with very high precision. The advantages of a compact Littman-Metcalf laser design in this regard can be greatly enhanced when combined with advanced low-noise laser control driver circuitry. To this end, Luna Technologies has incorporated a number of features into the driver design, including an internal wavelength monitor and sophisticated digital-signal-processing control circuitry to provide feedback while tuning, greatly enhancing the tuning linearity and smoothness.
Performance
To demonstrate the capability of these enhanced external-cavity lasers, wavelength-tuning linearity tests were conducted with Luna Technologies' in-house laser (designated A) and three commercially available Littman-Metcalf lasers (designated B, C, and D). The test consisted of scanning a Michelson interferometer with each laser and observing the interference fringes with a photodiode and oscilloscope. The Michelson interferometer is composed of a 50/50 2 × 2 fiber coupler with weak mirrors formed by right-angle-cleaved fiber tips. The path mismatch between cleaved fiber tips results in an interferometer time delay of 48.4 ns and each laser is set to scan at 40 nm/s, resulting in interference fringes with a frequency of 241 kHz at the monitoring oscilloscope. Data sets are collected at 12.5 million samples per second (MS/s) over the middle 8 nm of a 20 nm scan centered at 1550 nm. Interferometer data sets are collected on the oscilloscope and analyzed for tuning linearity and tuning noise.
The Fourier transform of these data sets indicates a great deal about the tuning "smoothness" of these lasers: the narrower the transform peak the better the tuning linearity and the lower the optical frequency noise (see Fig. 1).

Click here to enlargeFIGURE 1. A Fourier transform of the interferometer fringes for four commercial tunable external-cavity diode lasers shows important differences that lead to source A as the best selection for sensing instrumentation.
The peaks for Lasers A and B have been shifted to higher frequencies for clarity. The phase of the interferometer fringes can be scaled to give the change in laser wavelength and fitted to a line to reveal the deviation in laser wavelength from linearity (see Fig. 2).

Click here to enlargeFIGURE 2. Deviation from scan linearity is derived for four commercial tunable external-cavity diode lasers; again, laser A exhibits exceptional performance.
As expected, lasers with the most narrow frequency response show the least deviation from linearity. The broadest peak corresponds to the laser with both the highest absolute deviation from linearity, but also the highest fine-scale frequency noise (optical frequency ripple on the order of a few picometers). Such noise is highly detrimental to instrument performance. The two best performing lasers in this test were lasers A and B--both produced scans with better than ± 0.1% deviation from linearity. However, because of the much smaller form factor afforded laser A by the MEMS mechanical drive, this laser is preferable for use in most nonlaboratory environments.
To show additional benefits of incorporating a wavelength monitor into the laser driver circuit, we collected data on the same Michelson interferometer, but this time collected data on a spare detector and analog-to-digital channel on the driver board. In a Fourier transform of the fringes, the full-width-at-half-maximum of the peak is similar to the data collected in the previous test with an oscilloscope and when the optical-frequency increment is assumed to be uniform (see Fig. 3). The driver-wavelength-monitor signal, however, can be used to greatly enhance the sharpness of the Fourier-transform peak; by using it to resample the fringe data in true equal optical-frequency steps, the fringe data produces a transform-limited peak.

Click here to enlargeFIGURE 3. The Fourier transform of interferometer fringes for laser A when assuming equal-wavelength-increment sampling (red), and when using the laser-driven-wavelength-monitor signal to resample the fringe data (blue).
When the deviation from linearity calculation is performed on the resampled data, the resulting maximum deviation from linearity was within ±25 fm in wavelength, and the root-mean-squared (rms) error was only 7 fm. This implies that the relative optical frequency during the scan is known to an rms error of roughly 1 MHz, making this laser and driver combination an excellent choice for many spectroscopy applications. Moreover, this laser and driver are capable of obtaining OFDR results with spatial resolution of roughly 0.1 mm at a range of 5 m, without any special additional hardware or software.
The MEMs-based external-cavity tunable laser design combined with a custom advanced driver circuit that incorporates an on-board wavelength monitor addresses a wide range of new tunable-laser applications beyond telecom. In addition to OFDR-based metrology and sensing, this design, with a demonstrated resolution of 1 MHz optical frequency, also has great potential in spectroscopy. Spectroscopic applications could include gaseous emissions monitoring for process control and environmental monitoring, and biological or chemical agent detection. The small size and quick tuning rate of the laser could ultimately be useful for coherent atmospheric-scanning range finding and backscatter analysis, as well as for optical coherence tomography. However, these latter applications require further cavity development to allow emission at appropriate wavelengths and additional driver enhancements to support required scan rates.
REFERENCES1. B.J. Soller et al., Optics Express 33, 2, 666 (2005).2. M.E. Froggatt et al., J. Lightwave Tech. 24(11) 4149 (2006). 3. T. Rice, NASA Tech Briefs 32(2) 12 (2008).

Application of Principal Component Analysis-Artificial Neural Network in Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Determination of Compound Rifampicin Tablets

We have applied principal component analysis -artificial neural network (PCA-ANN) in near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to synchronous and rapid determining the contents of rifampicin (RMP), isoniazide (INH) and pyrazinamide (PZA) in compound rifampicin tablets. Back-Propagation (BP) Networks which adopt Levenberg- Marquardt training algorithm have been developed. Via analyzing the NIR spectra matrix by principal component analysis (PCA) method, we have obtained the principal components (PC) scores. The original NIR spectra and PC scores were respectively used as input data. These developed BP Networks have been optimized by selecting suitable topologic parameters and the best numbers of training. Compare with original NIR spectra, using the PC scores as input data, the capabilities of BP networks were much better. Using these optimized BP Networks for predicting the contents of RMP, INH and PZA in prediction set, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) are 0.00423, 0.00320 and 0.00608. These results are so satisfied and NIR spectroscopy technology is convenient, rapid, no pretreatment and no pollution that this method could be popularized in the in situ measurement and the on-line quality control for drug production.

Royal Canin opens $73-million pet nutrition manufacturing facility - New plant has latest in product safety and quality control technology

GUELPH, ON, Oct. 7 /CNW Telbec/ - Royal Canin Canada today announced theopening of its new $73-million pet nutrition manufacturing facility, a changethat means all of its high quality products - made to an unmatched nutritionalprecision level - will be produced in Canada. The new state-of-the-artfacility will offer dog and cat owners the best in food safety and quality. "This facility is a first of its kind for the manufacture of therapeuticdog and cat nutrition. Our long-term plan has always been to establish aCanadian facility - a natural progression of growth as our products havebecome market leaders," said Xavier Unkovic, President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Royal Canin Canada. "We manufacture a highly specific range of petfood aimed at the care and cure of animals. We know more about pets and thisnew facility represents the best in food safety, nutritional precision andquality." The new facility houses the best technology available for controlled andsecure production to detect and prevent product contamination. Raw materialswill be managed through a Near Infrared Spectroscopy System (NIRS) thatcompares a 'fingerprint' or chemical signature of the ingredient to acomputerized library of standards compiled and maintained for that ingredient.This will ensure any non-conforming raw materials do not get into finishedproducts. Any deviations from the standard result in the rejection of thedelivery and potential disqualification of the supplier. Every raw material is tested before it enters the plant and also everysingle finished product before it leaves the facility. "This $73 million investment in Ontario also demonstrates our commitmentto the Canadian marketplace," said Mr. Unkovic. "And, already, we haveexpansion plans in place." The new facility brings 90 new fulltime jobs. The plant itself willemploy a total of 190 people - including about 40 office workers - and willhave three shifts, five days a week. The facility will manufacture all dryproducts for the Canadian market and also export product to the U.S. market.The facility's extrusion (or cooking capacity) will double later this year. In2009, a food safety and testing centre will open, as well as an educationcentre. In 2010, a warehouse will be completed. Highlights of the facility's manufacturing excellence include: << - Extensively trained laboratory technicians first visually inspect all incoming ingredients - they are empowered to reject any ingredients that look or smell inappropriate to ensure ingredient safety and quality. Employees have undergone 15,000 hours of training and have skilled manufacturing experience. - Prior to uploading any ingredient, a series of up to 30 analytical tests are performed. - All suppliers are approved for each ingredient prior to delivery to the facility. Royal Canin Canada audits the company philosophy, manufacturing location, and origin for each ingredient it sources. - Fully 60% of ingredients are sourced from Canada - ambition is to source an even greater proportion of ingredients from Canada as Royal Canin develops more Canadian suppliers. - Turn over all of ingredients happens at least weekly which ensures fresh ingredients and a superior product. - Manufacturing operations are completely segregated (Ingredient preparation, cooking and packaging) and all work actions are 100% traceable. - Access to the extrusion process is extremely limited - there is no human contact with the raw materials prior to extrusion which reduces the potential for bacterial contamination. - Commitment to environmental sustainability - the best example of this is the Biorem filtration system for odour control. Biorem is a $1.2 million incremental investment that uses organic technology to remove greater than 99% of any odours from the production facility. Biorem is a local supplier situated just a few hundred metres away from the new facility. - Royal Canin has made an environmental commitment to be registered by ISO14001 - a designation of environmental management. >> About Royal Canin Royal Canin is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of high quality,specialized dog and cat foods in the veterinary, pet specialty, and breederchannels. Its headquarters are in France and production operations exist in10 countries around the world, including the new Canadian plant based inGuelph, Ontario. The company has a comprehensive veterinary exclusive line ofdiets under the Medi-Cal/Royal Canin Veterinary Diet brand name.

การพัฒนาวิธีการทดสอบการเสื่อมสภาพของคอนกรีตด้วยรังสีอินฟาเรดแบบใกล้

Development of new method to inspect deteriorated concrete using NIR spectroscopic technique

Bruker Optics Proved FT-NIR Spectroscopy Suitable to Detect Melamine in Dairy Products

In the past melamine contamination has already been a huge problem for the animal feed and pet food industry. An addition of melamine to the products results in a false appearance of higher levels of protein and thus better quality. The recent scandal involving the adulteration of milk and infant formula with melamine and the tragic results of four infant deaths due to kidney failure requires rapid measures to be taken.
Fast screening method
Bruker Optics performed a series of tests to find out if melamine can be detected with FT-NIR spectroscopy in milk powder and liquid milk. The results showed it is possible to find Melamine down to a very low concentration in various milk powders and types of liquid milk. Generally, FT-NIR spectroscopy is a very fast and easy-to-use screening method with total measurement times of less than 30s, which could substitute e.g. HPLC measurements. The low levels of detection are unusual for NIR spectroscopy, but melamine shows a very distinct spectroscopic fingerprint and can, therefore, be well distinguished from the natural protein of the respective milk product.
Improved product quality
FT-NIR spectroscopy can generally help to improve product quality and to assure consumer health. It is a valuable tool in all phases of the production chain, from the livestock diet to the quality control of the finished product. Bruker Optics' dedicated analyzers ensure the control of quality relevant parameters like fat, protein, dry matter and others along the stages of production. A set of starter calibrations is available for a quick and efficient implementation of the Bruker Optics spectrometers into your daily quality control routines.

Extending Near Infrared Reflectance(NIR) Pulp Yield Calibrations to NewSites and Species

Abstract
Recently, we demonstrated that the accuracy of pulp yield predictions for wood samples from a site (Gog) new to their calibration (Tasmania-wide Eucalyptus nitens) was greatly improved by adding five Gog samples to the calibration set. In this study we investigated the addition of Gog samples to the Tasmania-wide E. nitens set, with the aim of further improving predictive accuracy. It was demonstrated that the addition of a single Gog sample to the Tasmania-wide calibration set was sufficient to greatly reduce predictive errors and that the inclusion of at least 3 Gog samples in the Tasmania-wide set was sufficient to give relatively stable predictive errors. The addition of different sets of 5 Gog samples to the Tasmania-wide calibration, however, caused predictive errors to vary between sets. The standard deviation of pulp yield for the prediction set (20 Gog samples) was important, with sets having the largest standard deviations giving the best predictive statistics. Finally, the Tasmania-wide E. nitens calibration was enhanced using samples from a different species (Eucalyptus globulus) and applied successfully to other E. globulus samples.
Keywords: Eucalyptus globulus; Eucalyptus nitens; kraft pulp yield; near infrared spectroscopy; NIR

HEAT TREATMENT FOR SOME GREEN

NIR INSPECTION SYSTEMS FOR INTERNAL QUALITY OF LARGE SIZE FRUITS

NIR CASE

Benchtop NIR Spectrometer

Quality Spec Pro
Product Specifications
High Performance, Visible and NIR SpectralRange (350 nm to 2500 nm)
Rapid Scan Time (100 ms)
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis
Absorbance, Transmittance and Reflectance Measurements
Non-destructive Testing, Requires No Sample Preparation
21 CFR Part 11 and USP Compliant
Rugged & Durable
QualitySpec® Pro — the cost-effective benchtop NIR spectrometer for rapid analysis and high-performance quality control screening of all, or most samples, versus mere spot checking. Featuring extended-range InGaAs TurboScanner technology from ASD, coupled with an open architecture design for the ultimate in compatibility with a wide variety of sampling accessories and fiber optic cables. As a post-dispersive system, the QualitySpec® Pro provides for extremely low stray light and high signal-to-noise ratio resulting in superior repeatability of results for better discrimination and quantitative analysis of materials. A fully modular and flexible platform allows the spectrometer to fit into budgetary requirements on a scalable basis. The QualitySpec® Pro is available in any of these configurations:
350-1050 nm
1000-2500 nm
1000-1800 nm
350-1800 nm
1800-2500 nm
350-2500 nm
Other features include:
High sensitivity with TE cooling at -20º C
2 nm sampling interval with a 0.1 second single scan
Industry-standard 905 fiber optic SMA connectors
ASD’s Indico® software with seamless integration to chemometrics packages
Ethernet communications platform, including a TCP/IP scripting kit for compatibility with LabVIEW®
Calibrations established with the QualitySpec® Pro can also be deployed to portable and remote monitoring versions of ASD’s platform.
The QualitySpec® Pro offers superior performance, and fully complies with FDA and USP regulations. Add in excellent applications support from a dedicated team of proven specialists in NIR technology, and the result is the best performance to cost value in the industry. With instruments on every continent, in over 50 countries, and a proven track record in numerous applications, ASD has the technical expertise to get you up and running so you can meet your material analysis and cost-saving goals.
Pre-Dispersive versus Post-Dispersive, what’s the difference?In a pre-dispersive spectrometer, the sample is illuminated with monochromatic light. Light reflected from, or transmitted through, the sample is collected and delivered to the instrument’s detector. Any stray ambient light scattered from the sample is also collected, thus, both the instrument’s monochromatic illumination and all wavelengths of the ambient stray light are delivered to the detector.
In a post-dispersive spectrometer, the sample is illuminated with white light. Light reflected from, or transmitted through, the sample is collected and delivered to the spectrometer where it is first dispersed into it’s component wavelengths and then measured by the instrument’s detector.
Generally two categories of spectrometer performance are affected by Pre versus Post-Dispersive, and in most situations a Post-Dispersive system is advantageous over the Pre-Dispersive system.
Stray light interferenceIn a Pre-dispersive spectrometer the ambient stray light signal can represent a large fraction of the total light signal measured by the detector, thus, it can be a major source of error. While this error can be minimized by completely shielding the sample from all ambient sources of light, this often precludes the use of most reflectance and transmittance fiber optic probes and non-contact measurement heads.
In a Post-Dispersive spectrometer the ambient stray light scattered from the sample is also collected, but with the post-dispersive instrument only ambient stray light of the same wavelength as that being measured by the detector is added to the signal. Thus, the stray light signal represents a much smaller fraction of the total light signal measured by the detector resulting in an increase in instrument baseline stability.
Sampling, or sample presentation flexibilityPost-Dispersive spectrometers provide the greatest amount of sampling, or sample interface flexibility. Post-Dispersive systems allow for non-contact and remote measurements where Pre-Dispersive systems generally have problems with ambient stray light.

Dictionary of Analytical Reagents on CD-ROM

Product Description

Dictionary of Analytical Reagents on CD-ROM contains chemical, physical, structural, and bibliographic information on more than 16,000 analytical reagents - all the information required by analytical chemists, including analytical applications, physical properties, hazard and toxicity data, and labeled references. This easy-to-use, portable CD-ROM contains everything in the print version plus text and structure searching software. User can now locate critical information rapidly and with greater efficiency. System requirements: IBM 486 or higher compatible computer with 12MB hard disk space, 4MB RAM, VGA Monitor (color), MS DOS 3.3 or higher, Windowsä 3.1 or higher or Windows 95, external or internal CD-ROM drive. (Will normally run to a lower performance standard on IBM 386 and/or less hard disk and RAM capacity than those stated above).

Illustrated Dictionary of Chemistry (Illustrated Dictionaries)

Practical Nir Spectroscopy With Applications in Food and Beverage Analysis (Longman Food Technology)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5210633 in Books
• Published on: 1993-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 227 pages

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Customer Reviews

i can surely tell one thing that through this book only nir
this book is really godd for me to do mt research work. but i find difficulty with the graphs which are published in book and my insturument.please let me clarify from where u got these graphs expecilly with Wheat samplles.

The Facts On File Dictionary Of Chemistry (Science Dictionary)

Product Description

Newly revised and expanded, The Dictionary of Chemistry is clear, concise, and informative. All the basics of chemistry are here--the elements, groups of compounds, formulas, equations, chemical processes, laboratory techniques, and instruments. It contains more than 2,500 entries and includes modern chemical nomenclature and the most up-to-the-minute information on the properties of elements.

Over 250 new entries have been added, including: Buckminsterfullerene Fullerite Nanotubes Quasicrystal Supramolecular chemistry Crown either.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
These four titles all expand upon the second editions, released in 1988-89; each adds between 200 and 300 terms to keep the contents current, bringing the total number of entries up to approximately 3000 per volume. As in the previous editions, the definitions are concise and readable, targeted to the high school or undergraduate science student. Definitions range in length from a few lines in most cases to several paragraphs for more important or abstract terms. As with most technical dictionaries, etymological or pronunciation information is not provided, though line drawings enhance several of the definitions (approximately 50 per dictionary, double that in Mathematics). The use of British spellings, a drawback to the previous editions, has been eliminated here. Daintith, editor of three of the volumes, is a former research chemist in Great Britain. He is joined by Hine (life science editor of the Larousse Encyclopedia), science writer and editor Clark, and approximately a dozen contributors per dictionary. Each dictionary is supplemented by appropriate appendixes: taxonomic tables and amino acids (Biology); a periodic table, elemental information, fundamental particles, and constants (Chemistry); much the same for Physics; and conversion factors and useful symbols, formulae, and powers and roots (Mathematics). These are fine first references for the most common terms and concepts in their fields, filling a niche at the low-cost end of the market just above most concise subject dictionaries. Recommended for high school and undergraduate libraries.
-Wade Lee, Univ. of Toledo Libs., OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The previous editions of both of these dictionaries were published in 1999. Geared specifically to address the needs of high-school students (and also suitable for college students in introductory courses and the general public), these volumes are written in clear, concise, easy-to-understand language. Entries range in length from a sentence to several paragraphs. Black-and-white line drawings, tables, and charts supplement the texts.

The biology dictionary now contains about 3,700 entries, more than 300 of which are new. Also new are 2,500 pronunciations of terms not in everyday use. Examples of specific entries are Apomorphy, Entoprocta, Genetic engineering, Hormone, Ligule, Meiosis, Nitrogen cycle, Rapid eye movement, Spermatogenesis, Teleostei, and Zygomycete. Appendixes include outlines of the animal and plant kingdoms, amino acids, related Web sites, and a brief bibliography. The chemistry volume also has more than 300 new entries for a total of around 3,000, with 1,700 pronunciations. Sample entries are Alcohol, Carbocation, Electrode potential, Fehlin's solution, Oxygen, Relative density, Stalactites and stalagmites, and Vulcanization. Appendixes provide a listing of carboxylic acids, amino acids, sugars, nitrogenous bases, and nucleotides; a list of the chemical elements; a periodic table of the elements; the Greek alphabet; Web sites; and a brief bibliography.

Both volumes are worthwhile for consideration by libraries in need of up-to-date, relatively inexpensive dictionaries that cover basic biological and chemical terminology. High-school, public, and academic libraries might consider their purchase. Nancy Cannon
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"the definitions are clear, concise, and well-written, recommended as a quick and easy source of chemical information..." -- American Scientist

Dictionary of Food Ingredients, Fourth Edition

Product Description

Dictionary of Food Ingredients is a concise, easy-to-use resource, covering over 1,000 food ingredients and additives, including natural ingredients, FDA-approved artificial ingredients, and compounds used in food processing. Organized alphabetically, definitions cover functionality, chemical properties, and applications, and thorough cross referencing allows readers to follow related and similar ingredients. A section based on the Code of Federal Regulations lists food ingredients according to their US approval status, and a bibliography pinpoints further information. New to this edition are 'Ingredient Categories,' which groups principal ingredients by function and describes the characteristics and applications of each group, and E numbers for ingredients. In addition, the book will be thoroughly updated with new information on existing ingredients and newly approved ingredients.The 'Dictionary' is an unparalleled source of information, providing practical, scientific, and regulatory information on every important ingredient and category. This will be of value to food scientists, ingredient suppliers, dietitians, extension specialists, and students.

Customer Reviews

Excellent reference
Excellent reference for anyone working in the food industry or anyone who wants to understand the ingredients on their food labels.

Easy to read, items are listed alphabetically as you would expect from a dictionary, but another useful section of the book also includes informational overviews of food ingredient categories such as sweetners, colorings, emulsifiers,etc..

Definitely something I use and recommend.

Great reference
I work with food ingredients every day and this book is a standard, easy to use, quick reference.

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Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Agriculture (Agronomy)

Product Description

This monograph highlights the practical use of NIR technology, providing the latest information on NIR use in agricultural applications as well as the fundamentals of spectroscopy and chemometrics. Unique among NIR publications, the majority of the book details the widespread application of NIR analysis in crop production, food processing, and non-food agriculture. Forage, fruits, baking products, timber, meats, and more. If it has been analyzed with near-infrared technology, you will find it here.

Making Light Work: Advances in Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
This book presents a cross-section of the most recent developments in near infrared spectroscopy. Applications, spectroscopic theory, chemometrics, and instrumentation are all covered. The variety of contributors is a striking reflection of the broad range of applications of this technique. Workers in agriculture, food science, medicine, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, textiles, general chemicals and polymers have all contributed the developments from their fields.

Near-Infrared Dyes for High Technology Applications (NATO Science Partnership Sub-Series: 3:)

Product Description

This timely book opens up new avenues in the development of highly sensitive and specific fluorometric and sensor methods based on the NIR laser techniques, allowing detection down to the single molecule level. Most important are NIR laser diodes in combination with NIR dyes, which facilitates the automation and miniaturisation of reliable UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopic and immunoassay in situ measurements. This permits, for example, analyses of pH values, metal ions, pollutants, membranes, proteins, living cells and the DNA genetic code.
Furthermore, the book describes new applications of NIR dyes in high technology areas, such as photochemistry, molecular biology, clinical chemistry, tumour therapy, laser physics, nonlinear optics, laser sensitive optical recording techniques, optical disks, compact disks, laser printers, optical cards, photoengraving, transparent bar coding, forgery prevention, photoresists, spectrally sensitised photographic materials, thermal transfer printing, and heat shielding materials.
A compilation of challenging information for scientists and engineers interested in high technology developments and applications.

English to German Dictionary of Chemistry and Chemical Technology / Fachwoerterbuch Chemie und Chemische Technik Englisch - Deutsch

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy in the sugar industry for the detection of betaine

One problem in industrial molasses desugarization is the lack of a fast analytical method for process control. At the moment, control of the chromatographic production process is achieved by detecting refractive index and conductivity. However, since elution of some components takes place only in a narrowly defined time frame, the data gained are insufficient for effective online product quantification. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was applied to this process by development of a simple method for detection of betaine. Compared to chemometric models currently used, the developed method demonstrates the advantage of requiring only a small calibration set. Additionally, it can easily be transferred to other processes without further re-calibration. Based on the NIR spectrum of betaine, a characteristic peak in the spectrum could be assigned to the molasses compound betaine. A calibration was developed by using dissolved betaine in pure water. Afterwards, the calibration was tested for samples from a molasses desugarization process. The method was than successfully transferred to a complete chromatographic cycle of the industrial molasses desugarization process.

Fast Measurement of Sugar Content of Yogurt Using Vis/NIR-Spectroscopy

A fast measurement of sugar content of yogurt using Vis/NIR-spectroscopy techniques was established. 160 samples were measured by Vis/NIR-spectroscopy. A sugar content meter measured the sugar content on positions scanned by spectrum. The model between sugar content and spectral measurement was established based on partial least squares (PLS). The correlation coefficient was 0.894, standard error of calibration (SEC) was 0.356, and standard error of prediction (SEP) was 0.389. The correlation coefficient between predicted and measured values of 25 yogurt samples was 0.934. So the spectroscopy technique is reliable and acceptable in predicting the sugar content of yogurt.

the first Symposium of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) under Asian NIR Consortium that will be held in Japan in November 10-14, 2008

The Combined Chemical Dictionary On CD-Rom (Version 6:1, June 2002)

Product Description

The Combined Chemical Dictionary on CD-ROM provides all entries formerly available on one or more of the following discs:oDictionary of Organic Compounds (246,000 compounds)oDictionary of Natural Products (177,000 compounds)oPharmaSource (38,000 compounds)oDictionary of Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds (101,000 compounds)·Dictionary of Carbohydrates (20,000 compounds)·Dictionary of Analytical Reagents (14,000 compounds)Users can now perform convenient time-saving searches across six dictionaries as a single database. Spanning the breadth of chemistry, more than 489,000 compounds contained in over 197,000 entries can be accessed in seconds with powerful searching by text, substructure, or a combination of both. Special academic pricing and site-license pricing are available. Please contact us for details.System requirements: Pentium II processor or higher, 32 MB RAM, 40MB hard disk space, 24x speed CD-ROM drive, WindowsTM 95, 98, 2000 (from version 4:2 onwards) or NT 4.x, SVGA monitor at 800x600, 256 colors

Dictionary of Natural Products on CD-ROM

Product Description

Dictionary of Natural Products on CD-ROM provides today's busy scientist with fast access to chemical, physical and structural data on more than177,000 compounds. Continually reviewed to keep pace with the current literature, this CD-ROM is the most comprehensive source of natural product information.Special academic pricing and site-license pricing are available. Please contact us for details.System requirements: Pentium II processor or higher, 32 MB RAM , 20 MB hard disk space, 24x speed CD-ROM drive, SVGA monitor at 800x600, 256 colors, WindowsTM 95, 98, 2000 (from version 9:2 onwards) or NT4x

As/A Level Chemistry Essential Word Dictionary (Essential Word Dictionaries)

The Rosen Comprehensive Dictionary of Chemistry (Rosen Comprehensive Student Dictionaries)

Handbook of Near-Infrared Analysis, Third Edition (Practical Spectroscopy)

Product Description

Fast, inexpensive, and easy-to-use, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can be used to analyze small samples of virtually any composition. The Handbook of Near Infrared Analysis, Third Edition explains how to perform accurate as well as time- and cost-effective analyses across a growing spectrum of disciplines. Presenting nearly 50% new and revised material, this thoroughly updated edition incorporates the latest advances in instrumentation, computerization, calibration, and method development in NIR spectroscopy. The book underscores current trends in sample preparation, calibration transfer, process control, data analysis, and commercial NIR instrumentation. New chapters highlight novel applications including the analysis of agro-forestry products, polymers, blood, and control serum. They also cover NIR spectra, process analytical technologies (PAT), quantitative and qualitative analyses for nutraceuticals, NIR photography uses in medicine, and counterfeit detection methods for pharmaceuticals and currency. Offering the most complete single-source guide of its kind, the Handbook of Near Infrared Analysis, Third Edition continues to offer practicing chemists and spectroscopists an unparalleled combination of theoretical foundations, cutting-edge applications, and practical experience provided firsthand by more than 60 experts in the field.

Near infrared spectroscopy case study: Improved detection of canola seed samples contaminated with erucic acid