Food regulations are getting more and more stringent whether it is food residues, pesticides residue, colour, flavour, added vitamins in baby foods or packaging materials.  X-ray diffraction is a laboratory technique that can reveal the structural information on a wide range of materials and substances.Analysis of these materials largely depends on the diffraction patterns they form. The XRD lab can detect all the different materials as each on has its own unique diffraction beam.

XRay- diffraction is a technique that analyses the structural features of the sample and detects if there are any ambiguities. The Food and Beverage industry is one of the most rapidly growing. Manufacturers require rapid feedback on development of new food products. Both quantification and quality of ingredients and additives to be used in the food product are available through XRD. X-ray diffraction –XRD analysis also makes it possible to see if the sample materials have any impurities or not.

XRD labs can provide a wealth of solutions for the food industry including analysis of quality defects in food products. Sometimes foods develop undesirable crystallisation during a change in storage conditions. Amphorous products like hard candy and spray dried and freeze dried dairy products are especially susceptible to this change. Partially crystalline materials can also effect change because of recrystallization. These are changes that reduce the quality of the food but with XRD they can be remedied.

XRD can characterise crystalline states and crystal structures in starch, amylose lipid components and sugars. XRD is particularly useful in detecting crystallinity in partially amphorous products.  XRD allows nutrients to be controlled or added at specific levels in the manufacturing process. This ensures that nutrients and especially iron are monitored throughout the process to so proper nutrient content is available in the finished product like iron in powdered milk, flour and cocoa powder.

XRD is a tool that can monitor the quality of the food products through the entire production process. Sometimes it becomes difficult to identify the food components in a food product but testing samples in an XRD lab makes it possible to scan and identify the raw materials. If we take the example of a pancake mix or gulab jamun mix we can control the level of the primary ingredients like sugar, baking powder, and flour to produce a quality product that has a safe shelf life, right flavour, odour, and a taste that consumers associate with. More and more food manufacturers are now employingX-ray diffractionfor quality control as they able to get the exact mix of ingredients so the product continues to appeal to consumers.

XRD analysis ensures that the product meets both company standards and the regulatory standards. XRD labs can help you to get the composition of the products and the combination of ingredients and additives like sugar absolutely right. The combination of ingredients particularly sugar and the degree of crystallinity are important factors that can make or break a new product, impact the shelf life and popularity.