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DietQuest for Food and Beverage Analysis

Cecil Instruments offer three DietQuest spectrophotometers fully pre-programmed for both food and beverage analysis. Methods include single and multi-wavelength measurements and spectral scanning.

All the pre-programmed methods are defined by national and international bodies and trade associations including the following:

AACC AOAC ALVA APA ASBC BS-EN CAA

DIN FDA FIL-IDF GudRI IFU IOB IOCCC

ISO MAFF MEBAK NEW NF OIV OJEC

Concentration Curve Fit

Where concentration is not linearly related to Absorbance, a quadratic or cubic curve may be fitted to up to 30 standards or replicates and edited before use. A straight line may be fitted to linear results and 30 curves may be stored security protected.

Even the most complex assay is carried out simply by selecting from the displayed menu the required, method inserting blanks, references and samples as prompted. Just press the run key for automatic measurement and calculation of the result. All results are displayed on screen and printed, timed and dated, on the integral or external printer.

Simple Rapid Operation

User Programming

Never before has user programming of assays for automatic measurement and computation been so simple and rapid.

Cecil Assay programme software allows any assay to be formulated for up to 10 wavelengths. Rapid entry of text and formulae and setting a wavelength program is all that is required.

Up to 20 formulae, each with up to 76 characters, may be combined for the most complex method and cell programming may be incorporated for multi-sample measurements.

Flexibility of Application

DietQuest UV/Visible spectrophotometers additionally have all the functions of a high quality spectrophotometer and may therefore find wide application in a testing laboratory. Where only visible determinations are required the 'DietQuest : Vis' is offered and a full, high performance double beam instrument 'DietQuest : D/B' completes the range.

Reaction Kinetics

Enzyme reaction methods using kits supplied by Boehringer - Mannheim, Roche, Diogen, Megasyme etc. have been pre-programmed for a single cell or for 4 or 6 cells in an automatic changer.

Reaction curves are displayed on screen and regression analysis applied to the user selected part of the curve. A number of the assays are simple end point measurements.

Sample temperature control, where required, is available using either water circulation or Peltier Thermoelectric cell holders and controller.

Sipette Sampling

Samples may be handled rapidly and without cell handling using the sipette sampling system. Sample volume is user selected and low cross contamination occurs even with samples as small as 350µL.

DataStream - Data to a PC

Both raw, and processed and formatted data may rapidly be exported to a PC for incorporation into a spreadsheet or mathematical package of the users choice, e.g. Excel, Grafit etc. for manipulation and report generation.

Pre-programmed Convenience

The versatility of the DietQuest spectrophotometers is illustrated by the partial list of pre-programmed tests shown. Tests may be modified, or new tests programmed and stored by the user.

Food	Analyte	Method	Beverage	Analyte	Method

Baby food	Nitrate	MEBAFA	Beer	Copper	EBC
Barley	b-Glucan	EBC	Beer	Copper	EBC
Barley	a-Amylase	ICC	Beer	Nitrate	MEBAK
Caramel	Colour	EBC	Beer	Bitterness	AOAC
Cereal adjuncts	Colour	EBC	Beer	Colour	AOAC
Cheese	Citric acid	AOAC	Beer	D-Glucose	MEBAK
Egg	Carotenoids	AOAC	Beer	Bitterness	EBC
Egg, yolk	Colour	AOAC	Beer	Colour	EBC
Flour	Pigment	AOAC	Beer	Polyphenols	EBC
Foodstuffs	Sulphite	UDC	Beer	Vicinal Diketones	EBC
Macaroni	Carotenoids	AOAC	Beer, low alc	Ethanol	EBC
Malt	Colour	EBC	Beverages, coffee	Caffeine	AOAC
Malt	b-Glucan	EBC	Beverages, non alc.	Caffeine	AOAC
Malts	Colour	EBC	Beverages, tea	Caffeine	AOAC
Milk, dried	Lactic acid	IDF	Diabetic beer	D-Glucose	MEBAFA/B-M
Olive oil	Quality	OJEC	Fruit juice	Glycerol	MEBAFA/B-M
Seafood	Histamine	AOAC	Fruit & veg. juice	L-Lactic acid	BS-EN
Spice, pepper	Piperine	AOAC	Malt beer	Colour	EBC
Sugar	Colour	ICUMSA	Milk	L&D-Lactic acid	DIN
Tomato ketchup	Acetic acid	MEBAFA	Orange juice	Adulteration	AOAC
Wheat	a-Amylase	ICC	Spirits, Distilled	Fusel oil	AOAC
Wort	Colour	EBC	Wine	D-Glucose/Fructose	OIV

An Example of an application, Detection of Adulteration of processed Florida Orange Juice

Juice must not contain pulpwash solids. Using method AOAC 986.14 adulteration is measured by comparison of spectra, and using the adjusted sum of Absorbances at 443, 325 and 250nm and their ratio at 443 : 325nm.