73D-23

Depth profiling of a heterogeneous food package using Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS)

H. YANG and J. M. K. Irudayaraj. Dept. of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State Univ., 249 Agricultural Engineering Bldg., University Park, PA 16802

Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) can be applied for depth profiling studies in heterogeneous or layered polymer materials. It could be a tool to non-destructively analyze a heterogeneous package system.

In this study, the objective is to examine a protein-starch-polyethylene composite by depth profiling and identify the heterogeneous layers using FTIR-PAS and generalized two-dimensional (G2D) correlation analysis.

A protein-starch-polyethylene heterogeneous system was analyzed by FTIR-PAS and G2D correlation analysis.

Well-separated peaks corresponding to starch, protein, and polyethylene were obtained from the FTIR-PA spectra. The analysis was confirmed by comparing the peaks from the composite layers with the peaks of the individual components. Overlapping peaks that correspond to protein and starch in the mid-infrared region were resolved using the generalized two-dimensional (G2D) correlation analysis for spectra enhancement.

The study indicated that a starch-protein composite system wrapped in a polymer package could be non-destructively identified using FTIR-PAS with G2D analysis.

Session 73D, Food Packaging
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 2001-06-26 Room Hall D

2001 IFT Annual Meeting - New Orleans, Louisiana