Tests ensure high-quality products
Every time a new Eurogran product is presented to the customers, it has undergone hundreds of advanced tests and trials in the laboratory. The many tests provide the first indications about whether or not a new product is suited for vending machines.
The vast majority of products never get past the laboratory stage because the requirements on product quality are sky-high in so far as quality and functionality are concerned. If the products do not fulfil these requirements, they are rejected. In connection with the development of new products and the ongoing quality control, Eurogran A/S takes great pains to ensure that products intended for sale in vending machines fulfil consumer expectations for quality.
An important parameter in this connection is the product tendency to absorb moisture from the surroundings. Vending products with a tendency to absorb moisture are called hygroscopic. The hygroscopicity of a product is i.a. affected by the raw materials used, particularly the physical form of the raw materials and the process parameters. If a product has too high a hygroscopic level, it is not well-suited for vending machines and is consequently not accepted as part of Eurogran's product range. Therefore, e.g. hygroscopicity tests are extremely important.
Air and heat tests
A laboratory test gives the first hint of whether or not a newly developed product is suited for vending machines. This test is always supplemented with tests in various types of vending machines with a view to having the test results confirmed in practice before the product is marketed.
Eurogran tests its products in a so-called conditioning cabinet with the purpose of imitating the often extreme conditions prevailing in a vending machine with high temperatures and a high air moisture level. The test uses an average temperature of 40 °C and an air moisture content of 60-65 per cent. After 6-8 hours, it is possible to ascertain whether or not the use of the trial product in a vending machine may cause problems.
In the development process of, for instance, our Le Royal Choco product, the hygroscopicity of the product was tested in a conditioning cabinet with a controlled air moisture content and temperature. Then the product was compared with other quality products on the market. This was a particularly interesting test for Eurogran.
The photos below show the results of a test. Le Royal Choco was tested against a rival product. The test i.a. shows how our Le Royal Choco remains light and friable and that the texture of the tested chocolate powder is still like moist sand after eight test hours.
But if we look at the other test participant, we see a very different result. This powder has turned into an almost solid block of chocolate powder and that is not good for the machine. The test shows that the Le Royal Choco is well-suited for use in vending machines. Consequently, the product is ready for the next tests before the final decision will be made as to whether or not the product will be marketed.
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