Interlaboratory Measurement of Rheological Properties of Tomato Salad Dressing

Rheological properties of food materials are important as they influence food texture, processing properties, and stability. Rotational rheometry has been widely used for measuring rheological properties. However, the measurements obtained using different geometries and rheometers are generally not compared for precision and accuracy, so it is difficult to compare data across different studies. In this study, nine rheometers from seven laboratories were used to measure the viscosity and viscoelastic properties of a commercial salad dressing. The measurements were obtained at three temperatures (8, 25, and 60 °C) using different diameter parallel plates (20, 40, 50, and 60 mm). Generally, the viscosity measurements among rheometers differed significantly (P<0.05). For larger geometry diameter (40, 50, and 60 mm) and at lower temperatures (8 °C), viscosity measurements at lower shear rate (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 s⁻¹) were significantly different. Rheometer brand significantly affected storage modulus only at low (0.01%) and high levels (10% and 100%) of strain. Temperature was an influencing factor on viscoelastic behaviors only at high strain (>10%). Storage moduli values obtained by frequency sweeps were not affected by rheometer or plate diameter. Overall, rheometer, geometry, and temperature can influence rheological measurements and care should be taken when comparing data across laboratories or published works. Higher shear rates (≥10 s⁻¹) and moderate strains (0.1% to 10%) generally provide more repeatable data among different laboratories. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides information on what factors may potentially influence rheological measurements conducted across different laboratories. It is useful for rheometer users who want to compare their experimental data to published data or compare two sets of published data. It is better to compare data collected at shear rates 10 s⁻¹ and strains between 0.1% and 1.0%.