Viscosity Standards: Mixing For The Right Blend

Food and beverage manufacturers run viscosity tests on all kinds of products, ranging from relatively thin water-like juices and soft drinks, to sauces with variable flow behavior, thick creams and pasty icings. Measurement of viscosity is necessary for QC purposes, certainly for the final product before shipment to the customer, but also at times in process to make sure that the evolution of the mixture is progressing correctly.

The popular workhorse in most QC labs is the rotational viscometer. (See Figure 1) This instrument can measure a broad viscosity range, depending on choice of spindle and rotational speed. Manufacturers with an array of products find this flexibility helpful, because they can use the same instrument for more than one item. Diligent use of the viscometer ensures that customer acceptance specs will always be satisfied, at least for anticipated flow behavior.