Food and Beverages

• Cheese | protein and fat distribution
• Chocolate | surface analysis and component distribution

Cheese composition affects taste and texture and knowing everything about the composition can help food technicians improve their product.  Raman imaging offers a non-invasive approach to observe key components in cheese. The Raman images below show the distribution of protein (green), fat (yellow), and moisture (blue) in a frozen slice of mozzarella.  

Protein distribution was determined from the peak intensity at 3060 cm^-1 and derived from aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine and tyrosine. The contained water shows a broad OH-band between 3200 cm^-1 to 3500 cm^-1. The images clearly visualize that the water is localized in the protein rich areas and how protein-rich and fat-rich areas intertwine.

Raman spectroscopy plays a key role in assessing chocolate quality, offering insights into its composition and crystal forms, which are important for optimizing taste, texture, and shelf life.The Raman imaging of two white chocolates from different manufacturers revealed interesting findings.

White chocolate consists of lactose, protein, milk fat, and sucrose were identified as key components in both chocolates. Notably, sucrose exhibited two crystal forms, while lactose showed variations in crystal forms between the chocolates from Manufacturers A and B.

Additionally, there was a noticeable difference in the particle sizes of each component between the chocolates from Manufacturers A and B. Specifically, Manufacturer B's chocolate displayed finer particle sizes for all components compared to Manufacturer A. This difference in particle size distribution could have an impact on the sensory experience of the chocolate, affecting attributes such as mouthfeel and melt-in-mouth characteristics.