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Formulation is the preparation of a substance, conducted by combining component materials in the correct proportions in accordance with a specific recipe or formula. Formulation is a relatively common procedure in laboratory weighing for industries such as pharma, cosmetics, chemicals and food.
While attractive product packaging is often what first catches a customer’s attention, it is the aroma and taste of a product that makes them purchase it again and again. A successful food product is the result of a long line of trial and error in the food development process. A slight tweak of the starch concentration in the formulation, or the addition or subtraction of a seemingly insignificant ingredient, can alter the sensory experience completely.
Product development begins with identifying a consumer trend and, hence, a market opportunity for a new product. Food scientists work in their lab kitchen to create a series of prototypes. Following multiple tests and reviews, the most favorable formulation is scaled up into a commercial product. That is one of the reasons why traceable recipe formulation is important in laboratory weighing.
Challenges in Traceable Recipe Formulation
During the development of a new cocoa beverage, a well-known European nutrition company explained their formulation process: food scientists in the lab kitchen are provided with the necessary ingredients – various types of chocolate powder, cocoa, and sugar, as well as smaller quantities of subtler flavorings. Each prototype recipe is identified by a unique code, with the ingredient lists saved in an Excel® spreadsheet. Each recipe is printed out, and the ingredients are ticked off the list one by one as they are added to the mixture. The ingredients are individually added to a bag on the balance, which is tared at the start of the process and again before the addition of each ingredient. The weight values are recorded manually.
Ticking the ingredients off the list helps to ensure that no ingredient has been missed, especially when the colors of the ingredients are very similar. While this practice is effective, it does not fully prevent an ingredient from being missed or accidentally added twice. In a busy kitchen, where food scientists may have to make up to 30 to 40 recipes per day, any mistakes slow down the development process. In addition, recording all the weight values manually takes a considerable amount of time and is prone to error. When the pressure to deliver is high, sometimes weights are not recorded. In the end, a scientist can be faced with the problem of not knowing what a mixture consists of.
An Efficient Solution
METTLER TOLEDO offers a cost-effective solution to address problems in the traceable recipe formulation process for laboratory weighing. MS-TS, ML-T, and ME-T balances all feature RS232 and USB interfaces, enabling a METTLER TOLEDO P-5x printer and a commercially available barcode scanner of your choice to be connected to the balance at the same time. Learn more by reading our application note.
