The YSI 2700 has become well-established in the food and beverage industry, helping companies to verify the quality of their product before it is packaged and sent to the customer
The YSI 2700 Select biochemistry analyser is popular for the quality control testing of food and food ingredients.
Samples are pulled from production vessels and measured off-line and, in the event of a problem, the product can be adjusted immediately, thereby reducing spoiled product and resulting in substantial cost savings.
One of the main uses of the YSI 2700 is to act as a preventative measure, to catch lactic acid from becoming a problem before the product has to be put on hold and the whole batch wasted.
In alcohol production, lactate is measured in the fermented wine tanks, to measure the microbiological stability and ensure that there is not a bacteria that will grow in the wine and produce the lactate acid.
In tomato based products, such as paste and pasta sauce, the advantage of monitoring L-lactate on the YSI 2700 is also significant.
The primary spoilage organism in tomato paste is lactobacillus, which grows in the evaporators.
As is the case with testing alcohol, the growth of the organism is monitored by following how much lactic acid is in the product.
When lactic acid increases beyond 300ppm it damages the flavour profile of the paste and it becomes unpalatable.
As soon as the numbers begin to rise on the YSI 2700, the necessary measures are immediately taken to kill the bacteria.
The YSI 2700 plays a large part in ensuring the palatability and appearance of food and beverage products, particularly in monitoring the sugar levels.
Potato snack producers use the YSI 2700 for testing the dextrose and sucrose levels in the potatoes both before they go into storage and also while being stored.
As potatoes age, the carbohydrates change to sugar and the higher the sugar, the darker the potato crisp.
Manufacturers market the lighter coloured potato crisps to meet consumer preference.
The YSI 2700 determines when the potatoes will go off colour, and approximately ten days before this happens the potatoes are shipped to the snack food manufacturer for processing.
Generally when outsourcing, as used to be the case with potato growers, fewer tests are performed due to the high cost per test.
However, using the YSI 2700, smaller producers no longer need to send samples out to a laboratory for testing, meaning that more tests can be carried out in-house.
This process saves the snack producers thousands of pounds annually in wasted product.
The range of food types that the YSI 2700 is associated with is diverse - as well as potatoes, alcohol and tomato based products, there are many others.
Sugars, such as dextrose, sucrose and glucose are also measured and controlled by the YSI 2700 in the confectionery industries, including the manufacture of sugar-free products.
Lactose intolerance is also another niche market that the YSI 2700 may be applied to, in the manufacture of lactose-free dairy products.
Many of the food and beverage manufacturers boast a rapid return on their YSI 2700 investment, some as quickly as six months, due to the quality control cost savings.
By comparison, the traditional methods such as HPLC are expensive, sample preparation is time-consuming and a highly skilled operator is required.
The YSI 2700 is simple to use and extensive operator training is not required.
The testing is fast and accurate and wastage of product is significantly reduced.
