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Abstract
Total solids determination in foods is one of the most often used tests in quality control. For some fresh fluid dairy products, total solids testing is one of a few analytical tests used prior to packaging and distribution. Traditional gravimetric, hot air drying oven methods take several hours to complete. Microwave methods only take several minutes, but automated microwave drying equipment may be prohibitively expensive. A suitable alternative is commercially available microwave oven and analytical balance, which is one-tenth the cost of the automated equipment.
A 1-g sample is evenly distributed in the bottom of a predried, tared styrofoam cup, 5.5 cm diameter and 5.5 cm tall. The sample is dried for 10 min at 520 W power, cooled in a desiccator, and weighed. Total solids is determined by difference.
At least 100 samples each of the following products were tested in duplicate: sour cream; cottage cheese dressing; and ice cream, ice milk, and sherbet mixes. Total solids results for these products obtained by the microwave method were compared with control results from a standard hot air oven total solids method. Total solids mean values from experimental and control groups were almost exactly the same. No statistically significant difference was found between methods for any of the products.
References
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 13,
1989
Received:
January 23,
1989
Identification
Copyright
© 1989 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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