The global scientific consultancy group Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) has launched a new food scanning service called the SkyScan X-ray tomography system.
Labelled as a revolutionary new service that offers non-destructive 3D imaging of samples, the SkyScan X-ray works in much the same way as a CT scanner.
The analytical instrument builds a thee-dimensional image, which provides a greater depth of detail than microscopy techniques.
The technology has not typically been a adopted as a food industry application, but RSSL believe the possibilities are far reaching.
"We will be able to take almost any food, supplement, pharmaceutical or their packaging, and take a good look inside," says Tom Ray, head of microscopy at RSSL.
"With microscopy we are limited to looking at sections, and inferring from a few images what is going on with the whole sample. With this technique we can take many thousands of images and immediately build up a picture of the whole sample."
Already, RSSL has used the instrument to examine food supplement capsules to determine exactly where the coating was thickest and thinnest and hence describe how well the manufacturing process was working.
Other applications will include investigations of foreign bodies, and studies to understand how different ingredients are mixing together.
"Any customers that need to see inside their product or packaging will be helped by this technology," adds Tom.
"It will tell us a huge amount about why products perform well or perform badly, and we can use it to help producers to achieve better quality control on their products. One can't say the applications are limitless, but we will be able to tell customers much more about the inner workings of their products than was ever possible before."
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