Dynamic Fat Crystallization

The crystallization of fats such as cocoa butter, an ingredient in chocolate and many confectionery products, is important to understand as it directly affects the quality and appearance of the final product. Crystallization can be affected by processing and even storage conditions, and current methods of measurement can take up to forty-four hours including sample preparation.

• Rapid analysis and characterization of fat structure and quality
• Accurate measurements
• Reproducible
• Easy to use
• Minimal requirements regarding site and infrastructure
• No chemical preparation needed

For manufacturers who need to make timely decisions on the quality of fat ingredients used in their products, Bruker now offers a new method for the characterization of crystallization in less than two hours.

Dynamic crystallization analysis provides a crystallization pattern of fat on a timeline by measuring the solid fat content indirectly showing the initial crystallization, the main crystallization step, and the final solid fat content within 2 hours including sample preparation.

Based on the velocity of the crystallization and the final solid fat content, quality control managers can decide if the delivered fat is accepted or rejected, as well as whether it will be used for filling or glazing.

• Samples are prepared in standard 10 mm NMR glass tubes (details in the SOP).
• The user-friendly minispec.exe software is started, and the dynamic crystallization application is loaded.
• The intuitive Dynamic Crystallization Analysis application is used to run the sample analysis interactively with the operator.
• At the end of the NMR measurement, the data are automatically processed in the background by Bruker's Dynamic Center software.
• The parameters for the alpha (crystallization initiation) and beta (main crystallization) phases are displayed in the GUI result box.
• When QA/QC mode is enabled, a prompted information box alerts the operator if a parameter is not in scope.
• Limits can be entered according to practical experience and adapted to the production process.
• The data can be reprocessed as many times as necessary with different boundary limits before closing the experiment.
• All data are saved with reference to name, date, and time of the measurement.