RM200 PLUS Food Industry Application Note
Choosing the best spindle to analyse yogurt
Use
Non-blended set yogurt has a gelified texture at rest which can be a problem during viscosity measurements using cylindrical spindles. This study shows the impact of choosing a measuring system to analyse such a product. A flow curve in geometric mode enables the rheological behaviour of this product to be viewed from 0 to 100 s-1 with a very slow shear rate progression. The aim is to determine the best geometry for which the product will not “break” when the speed is increased.
MethodA pot of wall filler is placed directly under the RM 100 PLUS viscometer equipped with the blade spindle MK-R4. The measuring bob’s height and centring are adjusted in the sample and the time function starts being measured at a shear rate of 2 s-1 for 30 seconds, to check that the measurement is stable and consistent.
ResultsThe curves obtained for the same yogurt with the two spindles results in some significant differences:
With the VANE 6 blades, the rising curve reflects the “gel” rupturing, characteristic of non-blended yogurt, and the descending curve presents a Casson-type shear-thinning profile, with a YV of 13 Pa and a plastic viscosity of 360 mPa.s, which reveals its behaviour in the mouth.
With the 13-system, the rising curve is flat and shear stress seems to decrease when shear rate increases. In addition, the Casson correlation is not as good on the descending curve (R = 0.721 against 0.988 for the “VANE” measurement).
In conclusion, this study shows the importance of choosing the right geometry based on the nature of the product to be measured. In this case, the VANE 6 Blades stops the sample from compounding and lets the shear to be spread through the product.