Metrohm UK has revealed how its Touch Control moisture analyser in conjunction with the 890 Karl Fischer (KF) Titrino can aid the analysis of water content in foodstuffs.
The Touch Control is an ergonomic and modern operating element.
It can be hand held, placed on the laboratory bench, or attached to a stand or the wall to save space and protect it from chemicals.
The colour display informs users about the instrument status and offers intuitive user guidance.
Keys can be locked out so much of the analysis can be completed with just one button press.
The Touch Control is equipped with two PCMCIA interfaces that accept commercially available storage media such as compact flash cards.
This means users always have sufficient memory space available for methods, data and system backups.
Access control is possible with the Personal Keycard.
The water content of foodstuffs affects the physical characteristics, technological processes, microbiological stability, and shelf life of foods, as well as having legal and economic ramifications.
Water determination methods should not only be very accurate but also fast.
There are several methods for determining water in foods with KF moisture analysis being the preferred method within the industry.
Problems caused by too much water can include inverted sugar, for example, and in particular fructose, which can pick up moisture from the air.
The water is then deposited on the surface of the sugar.
This water leaches sugar from the surface and you can see a layer-by-layer change in the sugar when water is present.
Too much water can cause the sweet structure to be unstable and the sweet may well become too sticky.
Determination of water content is one of the most frequent analyses performed on foodstuffs.
In many quality control and process control laboratories, unskilled staff are often asked to perform analytical tests on instruments that even the most skilled operators would find difficult to use.
The Touch Control, in conjunction with the new 890 KF Titrino, is a KF moisture analyser that presents a modern solution to water determinations.
