New methods for ensuring the quality of candy
With the goal of making the world just a tad sweeter, the EU-funded SuChAQuality(opens in new window) project is helping the sugar and confectionery industry improve its quality control. “By developing user-friendly analytical tools, we are empowering confectionery companies to reliably assess product quality and authenticity while improving process control and efficiency,” says Mecit Halil Öztop, a researcher at Middle East Technical University(opens in new window), the project’s coordinating partner. The project, supported by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions(opens in new window) programme, looks to address such key authenticity and quality problems as honey adulteration, chocolate quality assurance, sugar and molasses sourcing, and product tempering. To do so, it has assembled a group of academic and industrial actors(opens in new window) from across Europe and representing the entire sugar value chain. “Together, we are creating affordable and convenient solutions that will help protect the authenticity of products and thus reduce waste,” adds Öztop. “In doing so, we will deliver cost savings to consumers while ensuring that everyone benefits from a stable supply of quality sweets.”
Solutions for sugars, chocolates and hard candies
Amongst those solutions is an innovative method based on ethanol isotope measurement – isotope ratio mass spectrometry(opens in new window) (EIM-IRMS). Researchers used the method to not only identify the origin of various sugar and molasses samples but also pinpoint mislabelled goods and determine the source of products with previously unknown provenance. The methods were also shown to be effective at revealing sugar and molasses adulteration and quantifying the extent of such fraud. “The combined isotope analyses demonstrated their potential as robust tools for combating misrepresentation and adulteration in the sugar industry,” explains Öztop. The project also developed an ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy-based method(opens in new window) to quickly – and affordably – classify sucrose. “This method does not involve complex chemical analysis or high-level experts and can be used in research or by industry to detect the source of sugar, which is important for some countries’ agriculture policies,” adds Öztop. Furthermore, researchers created a patent-pending benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) device for monitoring chocolate tempering in real time and a low-field NMR relaxometry technique(opens in new window) to evaluate hard candy crystallinity.
Quality control strengthens consumer trust
In addition to its innovations, the project also established a robust collaboration network amongst academia and SMEs from Europe – and beyond. “SuChAQuality is empowering SMEs with accessible quality control tools that enhance traceability, combat food fraud and strengthen consumer trust,” concludes Öztop. “On top of that, we trained a new generation of researchers in advanced analytical techniques, many of whom continue to actively contribute to EU-funded food innovation projects.” The project is currently working to commercialise its benchtop NMR device, along with further advancing the solution via the EU-funded NMR-IMPROV project. The team is also actively collaborating with food safety authorities to broaden the adoption of its various authentication techniques.
Keywords
SuChAQuality, confectionery industry, candy, chocolates, candies, sugars, quality control, sweets, molasses, agriculture, food fraud, food safety, food innovation, NMR-IMPROV