Noodle quality testing: a range of texture analysis methods for a wide variety of noodle types – Part 1

INTRODUCTION

The world is getting smaller: widespread migration, increased travel and trade have taken a wide variety of foods across country and continent boundaries with some, such as noodles, gaining increasing acceptability outside their native lands.

Oriental noodles have been consumed for thousands of years and remain an important aspect in the diet of many Asians. Eaten hot and cold, noodles are used in soups, salads, stir fries and recipe dishes. They are manufactured in many shapes, widths and lengths. Whilst many are available worldwide in fresh and dried form, others noodle types are only found in Asian markets.

Texture in Cosmetics – Texturity™?

In view of the growing cosmetic product offering, consumers risk being overwhelmed, leaving brands having to do even more to stand out and engage them. 

While there has been a lot of focus over the decades on aroma there has been far less concentration on touch, textures and sounds; and while textures and touch are crucial to the user experience, they don’t feature as prominently.

Employing Texture Analysis in your Sports Nutrition Products

Sports Nutrition has undergone an incredible decade of development and growth exceeding double percentage digits. 

Nutritional bars are the fastest-growing market, but there has been a widening of the sports and nutrition category. Consumers in this category have changed from mostly hard-core athletes, to include more mainstream health-focused consumers who represent the major growth drivers for this global market. Developed regions such as the United States and some European countries have been the dominant market players, but the demand in developing countries is expected to increase with the current growing interest for health-related products. 

Texture Analysis of Novel Confectionery

Pillowy fondants, sticky caramels and gooey chocolate - their texture doesn't need to be a mystery! 

From fairytales and films to cordon bleu gastronomy and industrial food production, confectionery is found at the heart of Western culture.

This love of all things sweet has not been overlooked by the commercial confectionery industry, which manufactures millions of tonnes each year. Meeting market demand, however, isn’t easy. Today’s consumers want it all, demanding products that deliver on taste and texture alike to enhance their eating experience.

Novel Oral Dosage Forms : Granules, Sprays & Sachets

GRANULES
 
Orally disintegrating granules (ODG) score highly in regard to ‘opening the packaging’ and ‘integration into everyday routine’.

They are already available for allergy and pain relief. In addition to those ODGs suitable for adults, singular paediatric 4mg granules are suitable for children aged 6 months to 5 years. The granules can either be given directly into a child's mouth, or mixed with a spoonful of cold or room-temperature soft food (eg apple sauce, ice cream, carrots or rice). They can be taken either with or without food, increasing their popularity from those looking for easy administration.

Novel Oral Dosage Forms : Capsules

CAPSULES

Liquid-fill formulation is one of the fastest growing sectors of the drug delivery market, increasing at a rate of 30% per annum. 

This is due to the number of highly potent chemical and biological drugs moving through development pipelines today – particularly for cancer treatments – but in fact, encapsulated products, such as fish oils, have long been popular as vitamin, health and performance supplements. 

Unlike many other forms, capsules mask taste and odour and allow for quick speed-to-market, yet they require less excipient. Their versatility allows for a multiplicity of branding options in terms of colour, size and printing/graphics. And of course, they are smooth, easy-to-swallow and are suitable for almost any dosage strength.

The Periodic Table of Texture Analysis Probes & Fixtures

Creating families, grouping by common properties: if Mendeleev managed to do it for the elements, then why not collate the range of Stable Micro Systems products into the instantly recognisable form of a periodic table?

Here you will see how all the currently available probes and fixtures that can be attached to a Texture Analyser can be grouped by test principle: Cutting & Shearing, Puncture & Penetration, Friction, Extrusion, Tension, Peel & Adhesion, Compression – plus Special Attachments and Accessories. 

Novel Oral Dosage Forms : Pastilles/Lozenges

PASTILLES/LOZENGES

While altering oral tablets to create formulations suitable for children has long been a part of paediatric healthcare, it is clearly a less than ideal option. 

Pastilles/Lozenges represent oral medical preparations consisting of sugar and gum that have solidified and are meant to be consumed by light chewing and allowing them to dissolve in the mouth. This makes them a popular choice for children, as they are easy to ingest and integrate into daily routines. In addition, they are simple to formulate, with interesting flavours, and their texture is more appealing to this age category for trouble-free administration. They are usually used to medicate the mouth and throat and for the slow administration of vitamins, indigestion or cough remedies.