Labcell has introduced a new version of the Pawkit AquaLab pocket instrument for measuring water activity (ERH) swhich, compared with the previous model, it is simpler to use and easier to keep clean
Water activity is an aspect of food quality assurance that is rapidly gaining in importance as more food producers and processors appreciate the impact water activity (ERH) has on taste, odour, texture and shelf life.
However, not all interested parties have a laboratory where a benchtop instrument can be installed, so the Decagon Pawkit AquaLab portable water activity meter from Labcell is ideal for such users.
Furthermore, the battery-powered device can be put in a pocket and taken anywhere within the supply chain to take on-the-spot measurements.
Water activity can now be monitored anywhere from the field to the factory and the shop or restaurant.
The new Pawkit casing is manufactured from stainless steel and allows for the sample to be easily inserted for analysis.
To take a measurement the user simply places the Pawkit over the sample dish and presses the start button.
Lifting the Pawkit away afterwards removes the sample.
This procedure makes the new Pawkit easier to use and keep clean than previous models that used an elastomer base.
Remarkably compact, the Pawkit is just 101mm long by 88mm wide.
Despite its small size, the Pawkit is a highly capable instrument thanks to the use of dielectric humidity sensor technology.
Readings are obtained in just five minutes from samples of solid, liquid or powdered material, with an accuracy of +/-0.02aw and a resolution of 0.01aw over the instrument's measuring range of 0 to 1.00aw.
A large, clear LCD display shows both the water activity value and the temperature at which the measurement was taken.
The robust sensor allows operation in environmental conditions of 5-50C and 0-90% relative humidity, and it is easy to check the calibration at any time.
Battery life is typically three years.
While the food and pharmaceutical industries are the most prolific users of water activity monitoring, Labcell is finding that demand for the Pawkit is also coming from a variety of other sources.
Manufacturers of soap-based detergents are using the Pawkit for research, development and quality control, and the instrument is also being employed in research into maximising the longevity of blood and body tissues - such as might be required for transplant operations.
Customers with the previous model of Pawkit can have the instruments upgraded to the latest specification by Labcell.
