Food Analysis Facility

Food Analysis Facility

Richard Zbasnik conducting an analysis on food sample

Capabilities

The Food Processing Center can assist with prompt quality and proximate analysis of natural products, food ingredients and finished products ranging from direct testing for nutrition label requirements to shelf life analysis of lipid stability and total amounts of antioxidant rich polyphenols. If you have a need to know the composition of your food, but lack the facilities to determine it yourself, let us help.

With a range of analytical equipment and services, the Food Processing Center has the capability to assist with other analytical testing and needs as well.  Let us know your goals and needs and we will let you know what we can do to help.

Contact
Richard Zbasnik
zbasnik@unl.edu
402 472 4694

Equipment

  • High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ion Chromatography (HPIC)
  • Gas Chromatography with Flame-Ion Detection
  • Atomic Absorption of Minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, iron and some heavy metals)
  • Particle Size Analysis
Proximate and Compositional

The basic composition of foods including the proximate composition (gravimetric analysis) and more specific analysis of food components.

TestMethodMinimum
pHDirect measure5 ml
MoistureConvection oven or vacuum oven drying10 g
AshMuffle furnace10g
Total ProteinDumas method1g/1ml
Crude Lipid (non-dairy)Solvent extraction by Sohxtech system10g
Crude Lipid (dairy)Modified Mojonier10g
Proximate CompositionMoisture/Ash/Protein/Lipid with carbohydrate by calculation40g
Total SugarsHPLC separation with PAD detection5 g
Dietary FiberEnzymatic digestion and gravimetric determination5g
MineralsSodium/Potassium/Calcium/Iron by atomic absorption10g
Fatty Acid ProfileGas chromatography with FID1 to 40g depending on lipid content
Cholesterol/Plant SterolsGas chromatography with FID1 to 40g depending on lipid content
Total FructooligosaccharidesEnzymatic digestion and HPLC separation with PAD detection5g
Total GalactooligosaccharidesEnzymatic digestion and HPLC separation with PAD detection5g
Total Sugar AlcoholsHPLC separation with PAD detection5g
Grocery LabelProximates with Sugars, Dietary Fiber, Minerals, Cholesterol and Vitamin D as needed100g
Restaraunt LabelProximates with Sugars, Dietary Fiber, Sodium, and Cholesterol as needed100g

 

 

Beer and Alcoholic Beverages

Additional testing of the alcohol content of beverages or foods with added liqures.

TestMethodMinimum
Alcohol by Volume (ABV)Distillation350 ml/12oz
Alcohol by Volume (ABV)Gas chromatography with FID10ml
Standard Reference MethodSpectrophotometric analysis10ml
International Bitterness UnitsExtraction and spectrophotometric analysis20ml
Total CaloriesReal extract, total proteins and total ash350 ml/12oz
 
Oxidative Damage of Lipids

Add quantitative data to your shelf life testing of lipid damage.

TestMethodMinimum
Peroxide ValueSpectrophotometric analysis2g extractable lipids
Thiobarbituric Reactive SpeciesSpectrophotometric analysis1g extractable lipids
Conjugated DienesSpectrophotometric analysis1g extractable lipids
HexanalGas chromatography with FID10g
 
Polyphenols

Determine the total amounts of polyphenols that act as antioxidants in a product, or the amounts of classes of polyphenols.

TestMethodMinimum
Total PolyphenolsFolin-Ciocalteu’s reagent with spectrophotometric analysis5g
Total FlavonoidsAluminum complex with spectrophotometric analysis5g
Total TanninsVanillin reaction with spectrophotometric analysis5g
Total AnthocyaninspH differential with spectrophotometric analysis5g
 
Miscellaneous

Additional testing regularly performed for analysis of foods and natural products.

TestMethodMinimum
CarotenoidsExtraction with HPLC separation with UV/VIS detection5g
ChlorophyllExtraction with HPLC separation with UV/VIS detection5g
Organic AcidsHPLC separation with UV/VIS detection2g/5ml
Non-Protein NitrogenTrichloroacetic acid percipitation with Dumas5g/5ml
ChitinAlkaline digestion with gravimetric detection10g
Vitamin AHPLC separation with UV/VIS detection10g
Vitamin EHPLC separation with UV/VIS detection10g

 

 

 

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