Hello, there! Dr. Rukundo is back. In today’s blog, we’re diving into the topic of identity and class – but not in the way you might think. While this might sound like something related to DEI or social segregation, we’re talking about the chemical and/or biological identity of materials that we work with every day.... Continue Reading →
Greetings, reader, Dr. Rukundo here! I am the NIR Applications Specialist at BUCHI Corporation. It is easy to assume humans raise plants, but have you ever thought that maybe plants are actually raising us? I know I have. Consider this: we need plants to survive, but plants do not necessarily need us. They were here... Continue Reading →
Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy can revolutionize yogurt production by enabling real-time, accurate, and efficient fermentation process monitoring. By leveraging this technology, yogurt producers can achieve consistent product quality, minimize waste, and improve overall production efficiency. Yogurt, or yoghurt – if you are British – has been a part of the human diet for millennia. History has... Continue Reading →
NIR is invisible to the naked eye, but sometimes the cost of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy systems may feel a little too transparent, too. To be fair, the answer to “How much does a NIR system cost?” really is “it depends.” Materials, hardware features, software, and licenses will all play into the final cost. In this... Continue Reading →
Labs across the country are constantly asked to do more with less… fewer people, less time, and less budget. The value in a capital investment shows up where the rubber meets the road—in lab productivity and company profitability. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a well-known technique that delivers fast results for standard quality parameters, helping break... Continue Reading →
Did you celebrate National Shower with a Friend Day last Month? Before you start to think that this blog has gotten NSFW (not safe for work), let us explain. The cheeky National Shower with a Friend Day was born out of a marketing strategy by a water filtration company in 2014. The goal: educate people... Continue Reading →
A New Year means new beginnings! Heading into 2022 we’ve added some new members to our group: Isaac Rukundo and Kristen Frano are two product specialists who have recently joined the BUCHI NIR team! They contributed to the content of this post. We’re now amid that post-holiday trudge! Were you good enough last year for... Continue Reading →
This editorial on NIR calibration transfer from benchtop to production was submitted by Mark Sullivan, a Senior NIR Applications Specialist for BUCHI North America. Not long after many new users become accustomed to the speed and convenience of laboratory NIR over conventional techniques, it dawns on them that this technology is inherently suited for use... Continue Reading →
In a prior blog, we shared how NIR online sensors could be used to optimize biofuel processes, starting at the farm, through fuel processing, and into feed applications. In this post we take a closer look at how NIR can be used as a measurement tool for a valuable co-product of the biofuel industry: distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Most ethanol plants in the United States are dry-grind facilities, which use starch... Continue Reading →
This blog was contributed by Dr. Mark Sullivan, Technical and Application Specialist at BUCHI Corporation. The head of a well-known agricultural testing laboratory recently approached me with an unusual request. This laboratory performs 10’s of thousands of plant tissue analyses annually using the Dumas combustion technique for total nitrogen and carbon (AOAC Official Method 972.43).... Continue Reading →
Summer is coming to a close, and the once plentiful corn stands that dotted country roads and even well-traversed city highways are beginning to dwindle down in number (replaced by donut stands, thankfully). Despite countless summer BBQs tugging on the supply chain at peak season, the vast landscape of cornfields in the Midwest (and beyond)... Continue Reading →
Protein is a critical parameter across the food, beverage, and feed industries. However, the best solution for obtaining protein varies across the production cycle. In this blog, we propose Kjeldahl and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy methods for protein determination, with arguments for which technology is the best fit based on factors such as: Application scope Variation... Continue Reading →
Goal-setting When we start to think about method development so many things come to mind. It’s a great idea to clearly define the goals of a project so that we can plan efforts and resources in such a way as to meet those goals. So, what should be our expectation, or goals, when we use... Continue Reading →
Why are we talking about Kjeldahl on the NIR blog? This blog has made many mentions to the fact that near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a secondary method. That means that NIR doesn't measure things like moisture, fat, protein, ash, %-polymerization or anything else directly. Instead, we use an acceptable primary method, like Kjeldahl, to produce... Continue Reading →
A rapidly rising consumer food company needed NIR technology to quickly test final product quality in their pilot plant R&D facility. The R&D team wanted an NIR to provide non-contact, process control measurements of food products passing rapidly by on a conveyor belt. However, being a pilot facility, they desired adjustable and temporary mounting approaches... Continue Reading →
In the northeast, fall ushers in crisp, cool air, vibrantly colored leaves... and doughnut season. Perfectly glazed Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Whether you're getting your round, deep-fried cake from roadside from the Pennsylvania Amish or from a commercial bakery, quality is key. Krispy Kreme has been serving up delicious doughnuts for generations in the USA and... Continue Reading →
The longest continuously running mountain biking series in the United States is hosted in southwest Pennsylvania. Every year, hundreds of locals show up to test themselves in the 5-race series and vie for the title of "local hero." Races each take place at different venues, and each venue has a signature "wrench" to throw at... Continue Reading →
When prodded, I suppose many at BUCHI would agree that some of the cheesiest members of the team belong to the NIR group. Maybe that's something to be proud of! More cheese, please! Cheese is delicious, after all. With a global market of around $100 Billion USD, I think there is a general agreement on... Continue Reading →
Don't worry, it's a good thing. This week, BUCHI Product and Application Specialists mingled with pet food suppliers and manufacturers at the Petfood Forum 2019 in Kansas City, MO. Some key topics on deck for event speakers include nutrition, labeling, product development, safety and manufacturing. Did you know BUCHI has its paws in the formulation,... Continue Reading →
Winter felt brutal and eternal, as it always does for someone who doesn't ski or care for hot chocolate, I suppose. What a relief it is to see signs of Spring emerging from my brownish-colored yard and hear birds chirping outside once again. Did you know NIR is quite Spring-y as well. This blog will... Continue Reading →
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