Confectionery Testing Attachments

TA.XTplus Texture Analyser

All of the texture analyser range can be used for testing the products listed below. A selection of special attachments and typical measurements are also shown which are commonly used in this application area.  However, this does not show the complete range of attachments available for the testing of confectionery products.  Test procedures include: compression, puncture/penetration, tension, fracture/bending, extrusion, cutting/shearing.

TA.HDplus Texture Analyser

Confectionery Holder Allows complete penetration and withdrawal of the sample, through holes in the plates, whilst avoiding sample slippage, movement or lifting	Typical measurements include: Firmness/Hardness: chocolate, chewing gum dragees, gelled confectionery, nougat, toffee, fondant, halva, marzipan Stickiness: boiled sweets, gummie bears, chewing gum, syrup, icings, toffee Stringiness (tailing/stringing of a product when a probe is pulled away): syrup, honey, caramel Tensile Strength: confectionery leathers, chewing gum rope Coating Crispness: sugar-coated nuts, chewing gum dragees Break Strength/Snapping Force: snack bars, chocolate, cereal bars Flexibility: chewing gum sticks/rope, liqourice Gel Strength: gelled confectionery Fracturability: hard-boiled candies Springiness: marshmallows	Three Point Bend Rig Used for the assessment of break strength of e.g. chocolate, biscuits, cereal bars
Tensile Grips Can be used to measure tensile strength or flexibility of e.g. chewing gum sticks, liquorice		Self-tightening Roller Grips  Used to measure tensile strength of e.g. confectionery leathers, where slippage at the grip face may be a problem
Craft Knife Blade Can be used to assess coating crispness of chewing gum dragees, cutting force of e.g. liquorice, caramel		Back Extrusion Cell Can be used to assess stickiness and stringiness of e.g. icings, caramel, honey
Film Support Rig This rig allows testing of thin, film-like products to measure the burst strength, resilience and relaxation properties.	Flexible Substrate Clamp Allows the measurement of 'wrapper release' (the adhesion of packaging material to a confectionery sample)	Acoustic Emission and Video Playback Allow the collection of acoustic data during a test and the synchronisation of force data with video frames - of particular interest for the testing of brittle products

Frozen Confectionery

A small diameter cylinder probe (extended) can be used to e.g. assess ice juice coating and internal ice cream hardness

Typical measurements include: Hardness: chocolate ice coatings, ice juice coatings, ice cream, frozen yoghurt, sorbet Firmness of inclusions (or loss of firmness due to moisture uptake): meringue pieces, praline

A standard knife blade may be used to assess the force required to cut through chocolate coating and the underlying ice cream of a choc ice

---

Application Studies are available for the testing of CONFECTIONERY products using either the TA.XT2i, TA.XTplus or TA.HDplus texture analysers. In addition, scientific papers have been published which reference the use of the TA.XT2i/TA.XTplus/TA.HDplus in the testing of CONFECTIONERY products. Click here for paper titles and citation details.