Project
Call for Partners | Rheolink
The project aims to address the challenges in food rheology measurements, which are currently performed offline using traditional oscillatory rheometers. This process is time-consuming and not suitable for real-time process control, leading to food waste and batch rejection. The goal is to develop an optical probe for fast and accurate at-line measurements of the viscoelastic properties of foods, reached in a close collaboration between WUR/WFBR, OnePlanet/IMEC and industrial partners.
Rheolink aims to develop and validate a novel optical approach for measuring the viscoelastic properties of food systems, enabling faster and more flexible quality control during processing. Using state-of-the-art laboratory techniques such as light scattering, optical coherence tomography, and spectroscopy, optical data will be collected from model food systems under various conditions. This data will be combined with rheological measurements obtained through advanced conventional methods to establish a robust reference framework. Through collaboration with experts and extensive literature research, the most suitable technologies will be selected and tailored to food-specific challenges.
Advanced modelling techniques will be employed to translate optical signals into reliable estimates of viscoelastic parameters. These predictive models will be applied to food systems relevant for industrial partners, allowing for specification-driven development. Building on these insights, a prototype optical probe will be designed and constructed for at-line use in industrial settings. The prototype will be tested and validated in both laboratory and industrial environments to demonstrate its potential in real-world food production processes, ultimately aiming for a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6.
Partners
Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and OnePlanet Research Centre are looking for manufacturers of foods or food ingredients in which rheology measurements are important and that would like to work closely together on the development of an online optical probe for the characterization of their foods.