Salt in food

The Titrando range of automated titrators from Metrohm of Buckingham, UK, can perform analysis of salt in food products without the need for nitric acid. The salt level in food products is an increasingly important factor to determine, whether it be for health reasons or simply for taste. 

The analysis of salt in food products, for example cheese, dairy products, sauces, soups, pasta, and jams, has involved various methods, the most common being the precipitation titration using silver nitrate as titrant to a mV end point. 

With the Metrohm Titrando range of automated titrators, this analysis can be performed accurately and reproducibly without the need for nitric acid. The sample is placed in a beaker with some warm distilled water and the instrument performs the titration automatically, providing a result on the screen, printed out or on a PC within two minutes. 

 

Particle analysis in chocolate 

The Morphologi G3 automated particle characterisation system from Malvern Instruments of Malvern, UK, has been adapted for the fully automated analysis of particles in chocolate. 

Manufacturers traditionally rely on tasting panels to assess the 'mouth feel' of chocolate - a key determinant of the success or failure of a product. However, taste panel observations are inevitably prone to human subjectivity and variability.

The Morphologi G3, equipped with a new large-volume wet cell accessory, offers a rapid, reliable and repeatable method for determining mouth feel and further characterising chocolate in terms of particle size, shape and intensity. The Morphologi G3 also calculates various shape factors for every particle measured, including high sensitivity circularity, which provides an indication of sphericity. A chocolate with a more spherical particle morphology may have an improved mouth feel.

With its 2ml to 6ml interior volume and large scan area, the new wet cell overcomes volume limitations of conventional techniques.

With the Morphologi G3, for every particle measured there is a choice of 20 different parameters to describe size and shape.
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Food allergen testing

Romer Labs of Union, Missouri, US, has launched AgraQuant allergen Elisa test kits that detect food allergens in a range of processed foods and raw materials. Even minor exposure to a food allergen in the nanogram range can cause symptoms, from mild skin rashes to a fatal anaphylactic shock. Cross contamination during the production process often occurs so that residues of food allergens in different products may be present. 

Testing with the AgraQuant allergen Elisa test kits ensures food safety and contributes to consumer protection.The test kits include all necessary ready-to-use reagents. 

 

Dissolved oxygen in beer

Mettler Toledo of Leicester, UK, has introduced the InPro6970i optical sensor for rapid and accurate measurement of dissolved oxygen in beer in filling plants. This sensor is based on fluorescence quenching technology and is characterised by a reduced requirement for maintenance and calibration. Also its performance in respect of measurement stability and response time are better than non-optical sensors. Consequently, possible beer losses in filling plants can be minimised.  

 

Food safety kits 

Applied Biosystems has announced the expansion of its portfolio of food safety testing solutions, with kits and software to improve the detection of salmonella and  Listeria monocytogenes  in food. These tools - which include Microseq pathogen detection kits, Prepseq sample preparation kits and data analysis software - have been developed to enable government agencies and food companies to more effectively monitor the food supply for contamination to help ensure food safety. 

The Microseq salmonella detection kit and Microseq  Listeria monocytogenes  detection kit are enabled by a technology that combines fast real-time PCR-based molecular technology, in a lyophilised or dried format, which reduces the handling of samples. 

These kits are part of a complete workflow that is optimised for use with the Applied Biosystems 7500 fast real-time PCR system. This is a simple, three-step process that enriches the sample, prepares the DNA by removing inhibitors with either the Prepseq nucleic acid extraction kit or the Prepseq rapid spin sample preparation kit and runs the test using Rapidfinder Express software for data analysis. 

 

Food sample extraction

Buchi has launched the parallel solvent extractor, SpeedExtractor E-916, which applies elevated temperatures and pressures to extract compounds from solid and semi-solid samples with a minimum amount of solvent and with unprecedented speed.

The SpeedExtractor can be used in a wide range of applications for environmental, foodstuff, natural product and polymer analysis, for example for sample homogenisation in the determination of fat in butter shortbread