IG15209 - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry for Dairy Products

The aim of the project is to exploit Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry for testing and improving quality of dairy products and verify their authenticity. NMR methods involve Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that revolutionized medical diagnostics, NMR spectroscopy and NMR relaxometry. NMR spectroscopy has opened the extraordinary opportunity to reveal the molecular structure, while NMR relaxometry offers the exceptional possibility to investigate molecular dynamics at an atomic level for systems in different physical states (liquid, solid) and degrees of complexity (small molecules, macromolecules and composed systems). NMR relaxometry is the only method that makes it possible to enquire into properties of food products from the perspective of molecular dynamics.

We intend to transform NMR relaxometry into a tool for dairy product analysis for the profit of food industry and customers, by addressing the following challenges:

·         Tailoring properties of dairy products

·         Identifying markers of dairy products quality

·         Verifying authenticity of dairy products

At present, investigations of dairy product properties are largely limited to evaluating their macroscopic performance with no link to its origin on the molecular level. We intend to provide means to exploit NMR relaxometry to reveal and establish links between macroscopic features of dairy products and the molecular scenario and, consequently, provide guidelines for their processing.

Fast Field Cycling NMR relaxometry system for dairy products analysis will include NMR relaxometer with data acquisition and analysis protocols, dedicated to dairy products, complemented with an extensive data base of Fast Field Cycling NMR relaxometry data for dairy products.