TASTE

This is a transportable X-ray spectrometer designed to perform daily quality control and authenticity checks on food liquids, such as wine and olive oil. The spectrometer is capable of measuring the concentration of metals present in the sample, also determining the molecular form in which they are found and their oxidation state. It is easily transportable and requires no sample preparation. Currently, analytical techniques for measuring metal concentrations in food liquids require lengthy and laborious sample preparation and the use of bulky instrumentation, therefore they can only be performed by specialized technicians in adequately equipped laboratories.

TASTE, on the contrary, is a compact instrument (100 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm) that can be easily transported to the measurement site; it requires no sample preparation; it is easy to use and provides results in a few minutes; characteristics that make it suitable for daily quality control.

The main characteristics of the instrument are:

• • High portability and compactness
  • Usability with small quantities of untreated liquid samples
  • Energy resolution 10 eV for energies within 10 keV
  • Measurement times of tens of minutes
  • Analysis times of a few seconds
  • High automation of measurement
  • Measurement of molecular forms and oxidation states of metals