Text Box: 8:30 AM Text Box: CHEMISTRY & NUTRITION Text Box: Rheology and Centrifugation as Indicators of Long Term Stability in an Acidified Matrix Text Box: Doug Wearly and Dr. Kaletunc Text Box: The pressure on food companies to quickly develop new products is increasing, and any tool that can decrease the time to market is valuable. This study aimed to determine the feasiability of centrifugation to predict long term stability and the role in which the rheology impacted the stability. A series of acidified beverages with different stabilizer systems were developed based on a concept for a new stabilizer product from FMC BioPolymer (Avicel BV2815). The stabilizer systems for these beverages were 0.35% pectin, 0.40% Avicel BV2815, a combination of 0.35% pectin and 0.40% Avicel BV2815 or no stabilizer. All of the formulations were manufacutured using a UHT process and filled under aseptic conditions. Avicel and pectin both function in different ways to stabilize the matrix. Sediment by centrifugation, rheology measurements, and visual observations were conducted at several time points over shelf life. Absence of a stabilizer resulted in high levels of whey and sediment, however, the combination of Avicel and pectin created the most stable product. Centrifugation predicted relative differences in the rate of sedimentation over shelf life, and the homogenity of the product after shaking. The rheology provided insight into how the physical characteristics of the matrix affected its stability over shelf life.