Cheese fondue is a traditional Swiss dish that has enjoyed popularity around the world. In Swiss kitchens there is a lot of empirical knowledge about how to prepare the perfect fondue with cheese, wine, starch and seasoning that is neither too thick nor too thin and that will cling to bread for easy consumption. However, no scientific research has ever been done to determine which ingredient, and in what quantity, has what effect on the rheology of the fondue, and thus on the "feel in the mouth".
A team of scientists from the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health at ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, wanted to know exactly: They investigated the complex multiphase system of fondue from a materials science perspective. Scientific data on the behavior of such mixtures of fat, water and protein are particularly important in food process engineering. Accurate weigh-in of the ingredients and reproducible recipe formulations are the base of such scientific investigations.
Read our application note to learn how accurate formulations with XSR balances have supported reproducible scientific studies on the rheology of Swiss cheese fondue.
METTLER TOLEDO's XSR analytical and precision balances offer a combination of reliable performance and truly ergonomic operation for accurate, efficient and highly reproducible formulation processes.
Is your balance fit for use? Make sure the selected balance model meets the process requirements by performing the following evaluation.
- Define the smallest net sample you want to weigh. This is the so-called “smallest weight” to be weighed on the selected balance. If you are weighing multiple components into the same tare container, the smallest net weight refers to the smallest of the components that you are weighing and not to the smallest total amount of all components. Make sure your smallest net sample is above the value given by the minimum weight with a safety factor applied (see point 3 below).
- Define your tolerance (how accurately you need to weigh the smallest sample and how much variation is acceptable). Your tolerance will determine if a device measures “well enough“ to meet process requirements. If the balance is used for more than one process, select the tightest tolerance expected according to your standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Define the minimum weight of the balance and apply a safety factor. The minimum weight is the value below which the weighing results may be subject to an excessive relative error. The safety factor is a multiplication factor applied to the minimum weight, to allow for fluctuations caused by environmental influences and varying operators and samples. The rule of thumb is to begin with a safety factor of “2” for typical laboratory environments and “3” or more for typical manufacturing environments.
- Check the maximum capacity of the balance and compare it against the maximum load you intend to weigh, inclusive of your tare container.
Let our product and application expertise help you make your selection: Our free GWP® Recommendation service is the benchmark to select weighing equipment and verify it is right for the process. GWP® provides documented guidance to ensure reproducible weighing results.
