...the
art
of
distell
‐
ing...
Fatmeter
User
Manual
Page
5
Introduction
General
description
THE
DISTELL
FATMETER
was
developed
in
response
to
demand
from
various
customers
for
a
meter
that
could
measure
lipid
content
of
fish,
meat
and
poultry
products
simply,
and
non
‐
destructively.
The
hand
held
instrument
is
placed
in
contact
with
the
sample
and
the
fat/oil
content
is
displayed
on
the
instrument’s
digital
readout,
providing
instant
processing
or
quality
control
information.
The
value
is
also
stored
in
memory
for
later
downloading
to
computer.
These
features
are
invaluable
for
organisations
requiring
collation
and
reporting
information,
especially
where
HACCP
and
TQM
regimes
are
in
force.
There
are
calibrations
available
for
a
large
number
of
fish
and
meats
of
commercial
importance.
There
is
also
the
option
of
having
Distell
prepare
a
specific
calibration
of
your
choice,
where
required.
The
instrument
is
non
‐
destructive
and
non
‐
invasive
in
use,
and
for
this
reason
can
be
used
equally
well
on
whole
pieces
of
meat,
or
minced
meat
products,
small
live
animals
and
live
or
dead
fish.
Please
note
however,
that
the
instrument
cannot
measure
samples
that
are
frozen,
and
it
is
necessary
to
fully
defrost
such
samples
before
measurement.
Principle
of
operation
The
lipid
content
of
naturally
occurring
meat
is
related
to
the
water
content,
and
the
measurement
of
one
can
serve
to
determine
the
other
if
the
relationship
is
known.
The
Meat
Fatmeter
utilises
this
fact
in
establishing
the
fat
content.
The
instrument
uses
a
microstrip
sensor
which
is
sensitive
to
the
water
content
of
the
sample.
Using
stored
calibration
data
the
instrument
converts
the
response
of
the
sensor
to
a
percentage
fat/oil
content
that
is
shown
on
the
meter’s
display.
The
principles
of
the
method
were
defined
after
a
number
of
years
of
research
and
development
conducted
by
the
Torry
Research
Station
(TRS)
of
the
UK’s
Ministry
of
Agriculture,
Fisheries
and
Food
(MAFF)
in
Aberdeen,
Scotland.
Calibrations
were
obtained
using
a
wide
range
of
meat
products.
Results
of
this
work
and
other
related
research
have
been
published
in
the
scientific
and
technical
press
by
staff
of
TRS.
This
instrument
has
been
further
developed
by
Distell.
The
Fatmeter
is
covered
by
various
patents
in
several
countries.
Fatmeter
update
The
first
Fatmeter
models
were
supplied
to
customers
within
the
fish
and
meat
industry
in
July
1992.
Since
then
the
Meat
Fatmeter
has
become
universally
known
and
is
in
use
throughout
the
world.
Distell
has
received
invaluable
feedback
from
customers
about
the
use
of
the
Fatmeter
in
the
field.
This
allows
us
to
constantly
improve
and
refine
the
Fatmeter
and
to
give
you
hints
and
tips
on
its
use.
Also,
we
received
numerous
enquiries
regarding
the
operation
and
accuracy
of
the
Fatmeter,
and
how
the
results
compare
with
the
current,
historical
methods
used
in
industry.
It
would
seem
that
the
sampling
and
analysis
procedures
are
far
from
standardised
and
varies
from
country
to
country,
and
even
from
company
to
company
within
these
countries.
Even
where
the
same
laboratory
equipment
is
used,
there
are
different
sampling
techniques
apparent,
which
seems
to
give
varying
results.
This
manual
should
be
treated
as
a
guide.
It
is
not
fully
comprehensive,
but
is
provided
simply
to
help
you
understand
the
Fatmeter,
how
it
operates,
and
how
to
eliminate
factors
that
may
affect
your
