Moisture content
has been established as an important indicator of shelf life for foods. Moisture can determine the aesthetics of
food, giving estimates to product shelf life regardless of sample properties in
a wet or dry state. Ash content is also essential to a food’s nutrition and
longevity. With Arizona Instrument LLC (AZI) Computrac® Moisture/Solids/Ash
Analyzers, testing moisture and ash content is an easy pain-free process and
can speed up production time and improve food quality control.
Moisture content
is one of the most important characteristics in consumer sensory perception of
food. Change in moisture content will dramatically affect flavor and texture as
well as physical and chemical properties, as water gives chemicals a helpful
medium to catalyze chemical reactions (water activity). The presence of free
moisture is directly related to water activity; the higher the water activity,
the more susceptible the food will be to interactions with microbes and its
environment. Computrac® series of moisture analyzers are the
fastest, most accurate tools for determining free moisture content.
Determining
changes in moisture over time is essential in choosing the best packaging
materials to maintain food longevity. The amount and type of packaging, the
volume of food stored and the environment all can change the water content over
time. Knowing and plotting water content is a useful way of locating the right
packaging for each environment which improves shelf life.
The analysis of
ash content in foods is simply the burning away of organic content, leaving
inorganic minerals. This helps determine the amount and type of minerals in
food; important because the amount of minerals can determine physiochemical
properties of foods, as well as retard the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, mineral content is a vital
component in a food’s nutrition, quality, and, like water, microbial
viability. Arizona Instrument has
instruments that reach 600°C, capable of ashing food samples without destroying
the minerals within it, and is an integral part of the food manufacturing
process.
Foods have high and low moisture content limits beyond which the
product becomes objectionable from either a sensory or safety perspective. In
dry brittle foods with low moisture content, such as dry cereal and dehydrated
foods, upper moisture content limit is important; the food can absorb water and
become moist, undesirable and prone to microbe contamination. In wet foods,
such as muffins and sauces, the lower moisture content limit is monitored to
make sure the food doesn’t become stale or distasteful. Finding and testing for
these limits is essential to produce accurate manufacturer specifications for
moisture. Guaranteeing food falls within these limits ensures the production of
a quality food product that will not expire prematurely. Each food also has its
own longevity and packaging concerns as well as mineral content considerations.
From cookies and
mints, to flour and animal treats, we have tested all types of food for our
customers. Using Computrac® analyzers to test for moisture, solids
and ash content in place of comparable AOAC standards or vacuum oven test,
manufacturers can significantly reduce test times without sacrificing accuracy;
which again, speeds up production time and improves food quality control.
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