MTM Highlight: Food Soil Cleaning Research in Recent Study
In a groundbreaking new study published in the Journal of Food Engineering, a team of researchers led by Perrakis Bistis investigated the cleaning of food soils from surfaces using the PCS Instruments’ MTM, and examined the interplay between mechanical and chemical removal methods.
In food manufacturing facilities, contact surfaces often accumulate unwanted food soils, or deposits of food matter. These deposits are the result of the properties of the foods being processed, and are an unwanted side-effect of food processing operations.
Using the MTM, Perrakis’ research focused on the cleaning rates of burnt tomato puree from a stainless-steel surface, and aimed to distinguish between mechanical force and dissolution in cleaning food soils. It found that the mechanical properties of the food soil change with water exposure, affecting adhesion and cohesion.
The cleaning process primarily involved dissolution and physical removal of soil chunks. The MTM results indicated that increasing the mechanical load or speed enhanced the cleaning rate, with the wear data correlating with other measurement techniques used. The research demonstrated that the application of tribological principles can aid in developing more efficient food cleaning methods!
The MTM is a ball-on-disc instrument designed for measuring the frictional properties of lubricated and unlubricated contacts under various conditions. It features independently driven specimens allowing for a wide range of contact conditions, a unique configuration for improved accuracy, and a variety of specimen geometries and materials.
The MTM is compact, fully automated, and simplifies test setup and calibration, making it ideal for various applications like fuel economy, joint wear reduction, and sensory analysis in food and cosmetics.
To read the full research paper, click here!
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