Milch-Union Hocheifel has improved its ability to determine the degree of homogenisation of its milk products by replacing a centrifugation process with particle size analysis
German company Milch-Union Hocheifel has improved its ability to determine the degree of homogenisation of its milk products.
This is thanks to the replacement of a time-consuming centrifugation process with a procedure that uses the Malvern Mastersizer 2000 particle size analyser.
The Mastersizer 2000 uses laser diffraction technology to rapidly measure particle size distributions over a wide measurement range from 0.02µm to 2000µm.
Rudolf Boos of Milch-Union Hocheifel, said: "Before we installed the Mastersizer 2000, we determined the degree, or quality, of the homogenisation using a centrifugation method. Simply spinning the samples required an hour for each measurement, making sampling and testing at regular intervals very time consuming.
Today though, we can take samples at very short intervals and quickly determine the particle size distribution by laser diffraction.
This means better quality control and, with a throughput of 100,000 litres per hour, enables us to maintain optimal homogenisation throughout the entire process." Milch-Union Hocheifel has now been able to achieve a level of quality in its homogenised milk that means even when close to the 'best before' date, no creaming can be detected in its products.
"The Mastersizer is very well suited to quality control in our company," said Mr Boos.
"The standard operating procedure concept enables us to develop and store methods.
Even inexperienced users can simply retrieve the designated method and in one mouse-click can perform a measurement." In the last five years, Milch-Union Hocheifel has been able to double its production.
This has been made possible by the installation of new technology in all areas of the company, including quality control.
The Mastersizer 2000 is proving to be an invaluable tool for cost-effective production, giving accurate and reliable measurements while minimising the possibility of human error.
Based on Malvern's established laser diffraction technology, the Mastersizer 2000 provides a practical, flexible solution for a wide range of particle sizing needs.
Operation, control and data management in the Mastersizer 2000 are fully automated and the use of standard operating procedures ensures consistency and allows reliable method transfer.
The system meets all today's rigorous quality and validation demands, including the US Food and Drug Administration's directive 21CFR Part 11 and the recommendations of ISO13320-1, the international standard for particle size analysis using laser diffraction.
