Did you know coffee is said to have been discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia? With over 2.25 billion cups of coffee being consumed every day, no wonder we need a day to celebrate it! October 1st is International coffee day and as coffee enthusiasts PSS has decided to take this opportunity to analyse […]
Following on from the article in last months newsletter, we take a look at the chemical differences between fresh apples and those that have been left to rot and dehydrate. A fresh Fuji and Royal Gala apple were analysed using micro-XRF technology to investigate the chemical distributions in their structure. A month later the same […]
Apples are widely regarded as the most popular fruit available worldwide. They are high in fibre, antioxidants, vitamins (such as vitamin C) and minerals (potassium and calcium) and have been enjoyed by all since they were first cultivated (1). Originating from Central Asia and being first cultivated as early as 4000 years ago, apples have […]
Portable XRF technology has improved dramatically over the last decade to the point that your average handheld instrument can measure from uranium, all the way down to light elements such as magnesium. Improvements in the lighter elements is primarily down to the development of silicon drift detectors (SDD). These detectors can count more energy peaks […]
