Food & Beverage
Fats, Oils, and Lipids
Fats, Oils, and Lipids are integral ingredients in the production and processing of a huge number of food products. Fats are nutrients, and also provide the proper texture, taste, and odor of food and food ingredients.
This chemical grouping is sensitive to oxidation, polymerization, hydrolysis, condensation, and scission reactions. This is especially true when the fats, oils, and lipids are stressed by heat, light, and the presence of metals.
Frying and Fried Foods
The founder of the LTC companies, Dr. Michael M. Blumenthal, shifted the paradigm of understanding frying from studying the changes in oil and food brought about by the process, to an understanding of the process that can predict the quality of the food to be prepared.
Chocolate Analysis and Research
The processing of cocoa into chocolate requires attention to subtle nuances. In addition, the cost and quality issues relating to pure cocoa butter make this material a target for adulteration or replacement with hard butters.
Finished goods are often affected by packaging, distribution and storage environment, and display environments. Bloom, off-odor, appearance defects, and inappropriate mouth-feel are the enemy of consistent sales. The presence of nuts, fruit fillings and other varieties make for complex interactions in these confections.
LTC specializes in scientific support for the chocolate industry. In addition to standard analyses and research, LTC also offers non-routine research and can issue Certificates of Analysis.
Microwave/ Microwave Food/ Reconstitution
The art of arranging food portions on a microwave-stable tray depends on the lossiness (energy absorbance) of each type of food. The use of reflectors, salts, and intensifiers to achieve crisping, flavor, color, interior heating, and water control demands careful product development. Obtaining the color, texture, odor, and flavor changes that make a cooked food typical of its kind often requires special formulation and process optimization.
The ranges of microwave power output of home and restaurant microwave oven models must also be taken into account when developing food products. Browning and other features may also require consideration.