In pet food manufacturing, olfactory evaluation is critical — yet relying on human sensory panels brings real constraints: time-consuming organisation, sensory fatigue, and variability in results. Olfaktion's electronic nose technology makes odour quality control objective, fast, and repeatable directly on the production floor.
What NeOse Advance delivers
- Automated, objective detection of off-odours, burnt notes and rancid profiles — on every batch
- Pass / fail decision in 5 to 30 minutes, usable by any operator on the floor
- Faster acceptance of incoming raw materials and quicker batch release
- Consistent results across shifts, operators and production sites
- Validated on dry pet food, wet food, and raw materials
The NeOse Advance Electronic Nose
A compact instrument that analyses the volatile organic compound (VOC) signature of a sample and translates it into an immediate quality decision — no sensory expertise required from the operator.
The Limits of Human Sensory Panels in Industrial QC
Even highly trained sensory evaluators face unavoidable constraints: olfactory fatigue sets in quickly, results vary between operators and shifts, and organising a panel takes resources that production schedules don't always accommodate. These factors make consistent, batch-by-batch odour control difficult to sustain at scale.
At Olfaktion, we have developed a compact, rapid, and cost-efficient olfactory analysis technology designed to fit directly into industrial quality workflows. Already deployed across several production sites in Europe, our solution helps teams automate sensory checks, reduce operator burden, and ensure consistent decision-making.
Cooking Defects in Dry Pet Food: Where Quality Control Fails
The extrusion and cooking process is the most critical step in determining the palatability and consistency of dry pet food. When cooking parameters drift — temperature, retention time, moisture — off-odours appear: burnt notes, oxidised fat, rancid profiles. These defects compromise product acceptance and directly affect the end consumer.
The problem can originate at multiple points: raw materials already degraded before processing, in-process deviations, or post-extrusion oxidation during coating or storage. Manufacturers need a solution that is objective, rapid and easy to operate on-site — whether for qualifying incoming raw materials, monitoring the line, or releasing finished batches.
How NeOse Advance Works
- The sensor captures the full VOC signature of the sample.
- The software translates this signal into an immediate pass / fail decision.
- Operators perform checks directly on the floor, with no parameter adjustment needed.
Operator QC Mode — intuitive interface for daily use
The dedicated quality control mode enables operators to obtain a clear pass / fail verdict with no configuration required. The underlying models, developed by Olfaktion's experts, distinguish normal samples from those presenting cooking, oxidation or rancidity defects — including cases where overall odour intensity appears similar between samples.
Key technical features
- Pre-concentrator compatible for aqueous or low-volatility samples (TENAX)
- Expert-configurable models based on VOC intensity, composition, or desorption profile
- Sensorgrams, pattern maps, confusion matrices and PCA visualisations for R&D teams
Validated Results on Dry and Wet Pet Food
Measured Performance
- Clear differentiation between normal, overcooked and oxidised dry pet food samples
- Detection of a cooking defect representing as little as 15% of total sample mass
- Data directly usable to build predictive models and define acceptance/rejection thresholds
- Consistent results on raw materials, finished dry pet food, and wet formats for dogs and cats
Detects a degraded olfactory profile even when overall odour intensity appears normal — the scenario most likely to go unnoticed with conventional checks.
A New Standard for Olfactory Quality Control
With NeOse Advance, pet food producers can bring olfactory evaluation in line with the objectivity and repeatability expected of modern industrial quality systems.
Objective. Fast. Repeatable. Compatible with daily industrial constraints.
The result: fewer defective batches, more stability across production runs, and stronger confidence in every product that leaves the line.