UNO Nutrition's laboratory is not a compliance checkbox. It is the primary reason our formulations perform differently from standard OEM output. This post covers every instrument in our three-zone laboratory, the computational modelling capabilities built on top of that data, and why the integration of the two changes the formulation experience for our clients.
Most contract manufacturers outsource their analytical testing to third-party laboratories. At UNO, we do not. Our 27-instrument in-house laboratory means the same team building your formulation is also running the tests --- eliminating the lag time, communication gaps, and information loss that come with outsourced QC.
The result is not just faster turnaround. It is deeper understanding of your product at every stage of development --- because the scientist reading the rheometer result is the same scientist who chose the emulsifier system that produced it.
Zone 1 --- Analytical and Characterisation (11 Instruments)
Purpose: Material profiling, particle characterisation, rheological behaviour, spectroscopic composition analysis, and colloidal stability.
Rheometer (Malvern)
Measures viscosity, flow behaviour, and textural properties across the full shear rate range. Critical for protein beverages, RTD products, gels, and pastes --- validates that your product will pour, mix, and perform consistently from first production batch to consumer use.
Zetasizer (Malvern)
Characterises nanoparticle size and zeta potential --- the primary indicator of emulsion and colloidal stability. Used to determine whether encapsulated ingredients and emulsified lipid systems will remain physically stable across the product's intended shelf life.
FT4 Powder Rheometer (Freeman)
Evaluates powder flowability, compressibility, and permeability to standardised, reproducible measurements. Essential for predicting fill weight consistency, blend uniformity, and packaging performance --- particularly for sachet and canister format products.
FTNIR Spectrometer (Bruker)
Non-destructive, rapid compositional analysis using near-infrared spectroscopy. Enables at-line raw material verification --- protein, fat, moisture --- in minutes, without sample destruction. A key tool for incoming lot-to-lot raw material consistency checking.
UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (Biobase)
Quantitative absorbance-based concentration measurement. Used for vitamin assays, colorimetric protein quantification (BCA, Bradford), and enzyme activity measurement across both R&D and routine QC workflows.
Laser Particle Analyzer (Bettersize)
Measures particle size distribution across powders, suspensions, and emulsions. Validates spray drying and milling performance, and ensures batch-to-batch morphological consistency --- a direct indicator of product reconstitution behaviour.
Colorimeter
Quantitative Lab* colour measurement for consistency control. Detects colour drift between batches --- critical for clinical nutrition products where visual appearance forms part of patient acceptance and brand trust.
Turbidity Meter
Measures optical clarity and haze in liquid formats. Used to evaluate protein aggregation behaviour, filtration efficiency, and visual quality of beverage products --- particularly for hospital-grade RTD nutrition.
Osmometer (Knauer)
Measures osmolality --- a clinically critical parameter for enteral nutrition, diabetic formulas, and oral rehydration products. High osmolality causes GI intolerance in patients; this instrument validates every clinical formulation meets the acceptable osmolality range.
Microscope
Microstructural visualisation of emulsions, powder morphology, and suspension systems. Enables direct observation of droplet size distribution and dispersion uniformity at the microscale --- the gold standard for validating homogenisation and emulsification outcomes.
Tapped Density Meter
Measures bulk density and tapped density to calculate Hausner Ratio and Carr Index --- standardised indicators of powder flow and compressibility. Predicts packaging and dosing performance before scale-up trials begin.
Zone 2 --- Processing and Scale-up (8 Instruments)
Purpose: Homogenisation, emulsification, spray drying, mixing, and thermal processing --- from laboratory concept to pilot scale production.
Microfluidizer (Microfluidics)
High-pressure homogenisation at up to 30,000 psi --- producing nano-scale emulsions and finely dispersed systems not achievable by conventional mixing. Used for lipid encapsulation, bioavailability enhancement, and stable oil-in-water systems designed to survive shelf life.
Spray Dryer
Converts liquid formulations into free-flowing powder at defined inlet and outlet temperatures. The primary processing tool for developing spray-dried encapsulates, oil powders, and probiotic microencapsulation systems with controlled moisture and particle morphology.
Pressure Homogenizer
Pilot-scale emulsification for RTD beverage and protein suspension development. Produces stable protein-lipid emulsions at volumes representative of production scale --- enabling meaningful scale-up predictions.
Ultra-Turrax (IKA)
High-shear rotor-stator disperser for rapid, intensive mixing at laboratory scale. The first processing tool in early-stage dispersion and emulsion development --- enables fast, low-cost iteration before committing to larger equipment.
Overhead Stirrer (Heidolph)
Precision-controlled mixing at defined RPM and torque for viscous systems, gels, and pastes. Processing parameters are recorded as part of formulation documentation --- ensuring reproducibility when transitioning to pilot and production scale.
V-Blend Mixer
Tumble blending for dry powder mixtures --- achieves uniform distribution of micronutrient premixes, flavour systems, and functional ingredients in protein blends and meal replacement powders prior to pilot batch submission.
Retort
Thermal sterilisation validation at pilot scale. Used to measure F-values and heat penetration profiles for shelf-stable clinical nutrition formats --- providing the data required to validate sterilisation cycles before committing to full production.
Water Bath
Precision temperature-controlled processing environment for dissolution kinetics, hydration studies, enzyme reactions, and controlled-temperature stability experiments. Reproducible temperature control is documented as part of every experimental protocol.
Zone 3 --- Quality Control (8 Instruments)
Purpose: Batch release testing, shelf-life indicators, physical and chemical compliance verification against specification.
Water Activity Meter
Measures free water (aw) --- the most reliable predictor of microbial stability and shelf life in food matrices. An aw above 0.85 creates microbial risk; below 0.60 eliminates most spoilage pathways. Tested on every batch as a release criterion.
pH Meter (Eutech)
Precision pH measurement for every batch across all product categories. Controls microbial safety thresholds, monitors chemical stability, validates taste profile, and confirms compliance with product specification limits.
Moisture Balance (A&D)
Thermogravimetric moisture determination at-line. Used both for incoming raw material QC and as a finished product release parameter --- providing rapid confirmation that moisture is within specification before product advances in the QC workflow.
Precision Balance (A&D)
High-accuracy weighing to 0.001g resolution. The foundational tool for formulation preparation, ingredient dispensing, and analytical sample preparation. Calibrated and documented against certified reference weights for regulatory traceability.
Digital Refractometer (Atago)
Brix and dissolved solids measurement via refractive index. Used for concentration verification in beverages, syrups, and carbohydrate-containing products --- and for monitoring concentration changes during processing and stability studies.
Salt Meter (Atago)
At-line sodium content verification. Supports nutritional label accuracy across all product categories, and is specifically used in low-sodium clinical product development to track sodium reduction against sensory acceptability thresholds.
Centrifuge
Phase separation for physical stability assessment. Creaming rate and sedimentation velocity under centrifugal acceleration provide accelerated indicators of emulsion and suspension stability --- used to compare formulation variants rapidly before committing to real-time shelf-life studies.
ATP Luminometer (Hygiena)
Rapid hygiene monitoring using bioluminescence to detect microbial ATP on equipment surfaces and production contact points. Results in under 30 seconds --- enabling immediate corrective action. Supports GMP compliance documentation and environmental monitoring programmes.
Computational Modelling Capabilities
Instruments generate data. The question is what you do with it. At UNO, every analytical output feeds into a proprietary computational modelling framework --- built, maintained, and continuously refined by our scientific team. This is not industry-standard practice among Malaysian OEM manufacturers. It is a deliberate investment in the scientific capability that our clients' products demand.
Computational modelling does not replace physical testing. It makes physical testing smarter --- directing our scientists toward the experiments most likely to succeed, reducing the number of trial batches needed, and generating predictive insights that would otherwise require months of real-time data collection.
Predictive Stability Modelling
What we model: Moisture uptake, oxidative degradation, protein aggregation, and Arrhenius-based shelf-life prediction.
Data inputs: Water activity, moisture, accelerated stability data (40 degrees C / 75% RH), and rheology over time.
What you receive: Shelf-life estimate in 3 to 6 months --- without waiting 24 months for real-time data. Reduces launch timeline risk.
Molecular Formulation Modelling
What we model: Protein-ingredient interactions, encapsulation efficiency, emulsion thermodynamics, and compatibility at molecular scale.
Data inputs: Ingredient molecular structures, system pH, ionic strength, and processing parameters.
What you receive: Ingredient combinations computationally screened before physical trials begin --- fewer failed batches, faster convergence on the right formula.
Batch Intelligence and Deviation Analysis
What we model: Multi-batch QC trending, instrument-to-instrument correlation, and raw material lot variability impact modelling.
Data inputs: All instrument outputs across batches --- FTNIR, rheometer, water activity, particle size, pH, and moisture.
What you receive: Deviations detected and root-caused early. Supplier lot variability identified and managed before it reaches production scale.
Regulatory Data Structuring
What we model: Nutritional calculations, claim substantiation mapping, and ingredient safety cross-referencing against KKM, NPRA, and target export market frameworks.
Data inputs: Full formulation composition, target market selection, and intended health claims.
What you receive: Regulatory data package structured from day one --- reducing dossier preparation time and minimising back-and-forth at submission stage.
The Integrated Outcome
The outcome of this integration --- instruments feeding computational models, models directing physical testing, every output documented and traceable --- is a formulation process that moves faster, fails less, and produces scientific rationale that clients can defend at every stage of procurement, regulatory submission, and clinical use.
Contact our team to discuss your formulation requirements and how UNO's laboratory and computational science capabilities can support your next product development project.