Imaging services

The ability to accurately picture and describe the colour or structure of a food product provides the food manufacturer with a valuable tool to improve quality. From consistent and accurate colour measurements of products such as fruit and vegetables, to detailed descriptions of the crumb structure of bread and cakes, Campden BRI has a range of state-of-the-art equipment to do the job.

As well as our microscopy services, we also carry out:

• Accurate colour imaging using a DigiEye imaging system, calibrated against the CIELAB colour space. This includes image capture, screen display ad printing. Images can be used for food specification, analysed to measure the colour distribution, and printed on a calibrated printer for use in visual assessment.
• Non-destructive imaging of internal product structure using an X-ray CT scanner. A special oven enables products to be baked inside the scanner, enabling structural changes to be studied during processing.
• Quantitative analysis of cellular product structure using the C-Cell instrument developed by Campden BRI.

Hyperspectral NIR imaging. This allows the chemical composition of products to be visualised. It clearly shows areas where the composition is different – and thus is very useful for investigating the uptake of fat in fried products, such as doughnuts or chips. The same technique can also be used to monitor moisture migration in bakery products, and help understand how they become stale over storage life

Digital image analysis can be used to provide objective measurements of a wide range of characteristics, using images from any of the above sources. Dedicated software and imaging systems can be developed for particular tasks.

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Key services

Bakery product development

Confidential services support all parts of the product development chain.

Wheat authenticity and classification

Match variety to end-use suitability and provide routine variety checks.

Milling and grain processing

Grain processing facilities suitable for wheat and other cereals.

Wheat and flour analysis and testing

Wheat and flour analysis and testing.

Development and evaluation of new analytical methods

Method development, validation and evaluation and independent evaluation.

Wheat and flour research and development

Interpretation, analysis development and evaluation services.

Gluten–free bread

Functionality of wheat, mixing and dough development and baking expertise.

Baking for a healthy diet

Applied research, product development and consultancy.