Sucrose and dextrose levels are closely monitored by potato snack and frozen food manufacturers, by testing the potatoes both before they go into storage and while being stored.
As potatoes age, the carbohydrates convert to sugar and the higher sugar levels darken the cooked potato.
Because manufacturers favour the lighter-coloured crisps and chips to meet consumer preference, manufacturers began to seek ways to monitor the potato aging process.
Potato growers used to either send samples in to the laboratory or outsource the testing, but the high cost per test meant that fewer tests were carried out.
Now, by using the YSI biochemistry analyser, with its immobilised enzyme technology, the producers no longer need to send samples to the laboratory - the testing is carried out simply and quickly in-house, saving the snack producers thousands of pounds annually in wasted product.
The YSI 2700 is simple to use and extensive operator training is not required.
The potato growers and snack manufacturers can now quickly determine whether to ship the potatoes from storage to save thousands of pounds in wasted product.
In addition to minimising the waste of raw potatoes by continuous monitoring during storage, monitoring of fry broth minimises the waste of fried potatoes due to unwanted colour.
The YSI method is claimed to be fast, accurate and reliable.
In addition, it does not consume any water nor produce any toxic waste.
The YSI enzyme technology works through immobilising the enzyme specific for the substrate of interest between two membrane layers: polycarbonate and cellulose acetate.
The substrate is oxidised as it enters the enzyme layer, producing molecules of hydrogen peroxide small enough to pass through cellulose acetate to platinum electrode, where the hydrogen peroxide is oxidised.
The resulting current is proportional to the concentration of the substrate.
The cellulose acetate layer also blocks many electrochemically active compounds from reaching the electrode, compounds that might otherwise interfere with the measurement.
Thus YSI measurements are virtually unaffected by colour, turbidity, density, pH or presence of reducing substances.
The YSI 2700 has been the analyser of choice for potato growers and snack manufacturers, with its tried and tested performance over many years.
However, YSI now offers the YSI 2900 as an alternative, which, while still using the same YSI enzyme technology, features new technical innovations, features and benefits, including more cost savings.
Both the YSI 2700 and 2900 can measure up to two of the following list of compatible chemistries simultaneously: dextrose, sucrose, lactate, lactose, glutamine, glutamate, xylose and glucose, ethanol, methanol, hydrogen peroxide, dextrose and lactate, dextrose and sucrose.
Options for glycerol, ammonium and potassium are to be released shortly.
The modular design of the YSI 2900 will allow for future expansion of chemistries from two to four or six.
The YSI 2900 does not need a turntable as it already has an integrated auto sampler, which has the capability for a 1 to 96 well plate, along with a separate station for one-off samples.
A wide variety of vials, tubes and plates may be used, allowing for smaller sample size 5-65uL.
The YSI 2900's chamber design and wide, short aspiration path makes it resistant to clogging, even with samples that have a high dissolved solids content.
It also has a large touch screen, whose icon-driven interface currently offers eight language versions.
Onboard training videos are available to help out people without expertise in the process.
The YSI 2900 enables users to download data to memory stick, PC or network via USB, Ethernet or RS232 ports.
