New automatic colour spectrometer for edible oils

The Lovibond® Colour Measurement Team announces the availability of the Model Fx, the new automatic colour spectrophotometer designed for use in the edible oils market. The Model Fx measures Lovibond® RYBN, Lovibond RY10:1, AOCS RY, chlorophyll and b-carotene, ensuring compliance to standards on an international scale. Uniquely, however, the Model Fx allows the measurement of hot samples with its integrated heater. Moreover, it also reports the oil’s sample temperature to avoid mis-readings from crystallisation.

The increasing trend of oil usage worldwide and the resultant effect on price fluctuations is driving the need for more accurate analysis within the supply chain. Non-repetitive analysis across refineries, however, is still an issue.

Many edible oils are also unique in their fractionation – resulting in different melting points for different applications. This makes the sample temperature, and sample heating to maintain the temperature during measurement, more important since temperature and colour go hand in hand.

Temperature and duration times must be accurately set to ensure heating to the full liquid phase for measurement, while bearing in mind that overheating can cause the oil to turn darker. Microwave heating is faster but may not result in uniform temperatures of the oil.

Further, due to the high melt temperature, certain oils shorten very quickly: as soon as the temperature is removed, they start to solidify, visually turning the sample increasingly whiter.

Matthew Russell, International Sales Manager for Lovibond’s range of colour measurement products stated, “The Lovibond® Model Fx solves the problem of measuring the colour of edible oils with its unique ability to not only keep the oil at a constant temperature but also to measure and report on the temperature of the sample, avoiding any mis-readings from crystallization.”