FINSLab laboratory

In the section of chemical tests on a daily ­basis is checked the quality of food products by ­analyzing their basic chemical composition and other ­parameters in accordance with applicable ­regulations.

In the field of sensory evaluation and sensory characterization of products, laboratory has the capacity according to ISO standards for conducting analysis by the eight-member panel and the ­possibility of objective assessment of texture (texture analyzer) and color ­(chroma-metar).

Microbiology section has all the necessary resources for control of microbiological criteria of hygiene process, food and feed safety and microbiological testing of equipment in general use in accordance with ISO standard.

It regularly participates in national and international ­inter-laboratory comparisons. In the framework of cooperation with industry, the ­microbiology section performs studies of microbial viability, ­provides the consulting services, HACCP system improvement and ­interpretation of numerous national and international standards and regulations.

Specialized and highly qualified staff, with extensive experience is also included in numerous national and international projects. Section also investigates antimicrobial activity of extracts and essential oils of spices and medicinal herbs, natural antimicrobial properties of ­various food products, supplements and the impact of new technology on qualitative and quantitative changes in microbial populations in food and feed.

Sections of trade quality and rheological tests, assess the technological quality of wheat and flour and flour based products. Laboratories have more types of mills to produce flour and samples preparation.

For samples analysis are used:

• farinograph,
• exstensograph,
• amylograph,
• alveograph,
• Mixolab,
• rheofermentometer,
• NIRS analyzer (a device for the rapid ­ determination of grain quality parameters).

In addition to monitoring equipment for ­empirical rheological properties of flour, ­rheological ­testing section also has equipment for ­testing ­fundamental rheological properties and ­viscosity of food ­systems that includes: capillary ­viscometer, rheometer suitable for testing system at equilibrium (“steady shear”) and the oscillatory shear and extensional rheometer.

Besides quality testing of food products, ­mentioned devices are applied to determine influence of ­process parameters on the specific textural features of the system, as well as to develop new products and optimization of existing formulations by testing them throughout the whole production cycle: from raw material to the final product.