New Miniature NIR Spectrometer for Food Production

Ocean Optics (UK) has expanded its Flame spectrometer family. Flame-NIR delivers powerful near infrared spectroscopy in a compact, affordable instrument. Costing around 75 per cent less than a traditional NIR system, Flame-NIR pairs a high-performance uncooled InGaAs array detector with a small optical bench for spectral response from 950-1650 nm. Flame-NIR’s spectral sensing can be used in agricultural to gauge crop readiness and characterisation, and in food production to ensure quality and ingredient integrity. The compact Flame-NIR can be used in quality labs or integrated on production lines.

Flame-NIR is sensitive, fast and easy to use for a multitude of measurements within food and agriculture: Quantifying sugar, moisture, protein, acidity, vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, Screening for internal rot, pests, and ripeness in produce, Identifying and classifying seeds, grains, and pulses, Confirming species of fish, Distinguishing between thawed and fresh fish, identifying artificially boosted water content in fish, and measuring fat and protein content of meats, and Gauging cheese ripeness, and measuring fat and protein in milk.

Unlike other lower-cost NIR spectrometers, Flame-NIR uses an InGaAs diode array detector for high sensitivity with concurrent measurement of all wavelengths. It also delivers high thermal stability and low unit-to-unit variation without compromising the flexibility and configurability that are the hallmark of modular, miniature spectrometers. Spectrometers come preconfigured or custom configured, with a replaceable slit design that enables users to adjust resolution and throughput on demand. Complete systems, including accessories such as fibres and light sources, can be configured for under £7,000.

Flame-NIR benefits from high precision alignment methods that elevate spectrometer performance for a range of demanding applications. Because its design is not dependent on thermo-electric cooling, it has relatively low power consumption. This design, coupled with a small footprint (89.1 mm x 63.3 mm x 31.9 mm) and low weight (265 g), make it suitable for deployment in the field as well as process integration.

Operation of Flame-NIR is plug and play. A choice of USB or RS-232 communications, supported by drivers and software, makes it easy to integrate into almost any system. Indicator LEDs show continuous power and data transfer status. Flame-NIR is compatible with Ocean Optics’ range of light sources, optical fibres, sampling accessories and software.