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29.
November
2016.
Reducing the risk of product recalls

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PR38201
29 November 2016

 

SIMPLE, QUICK WAY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FOOD PRODUCT RECALLS

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AquaLab Series 4TE water activity analyser

 

A quick look at the ‘Food alerts' section of the Food Standards Agency's website shows how many products are recalled - in the last twelve months there have been approximately 80, almost half of which were due to the possible presence of moulds or bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, clostridium botulinum and listeria. Every recall is costly to the manufacturer, both financially and reputationally.

Labcell is reminding food producers that maintaining water activity (also referred to as equivalent relative humidity or ERH) within acceptable limits can inhibit microbial growth without compromising shelf life, colour, flavour, texture or odour, and without recourse to artificial preservatives.

The company offers the latest AquaLab Series 4TE water activity analyser as a simple, quick and cost-effective way to obtain quantitative data that provides an invaluable indicator of safety and quality of both ingredients and food products.

Different ingredient and food types have water activity thresholds below which microbial activity is inhibited; above this level there is a significant risk that the ingredient or food product can become unsafe. For example, by maintaining the water activity below 0.91 aw in products such as cheddar cheese, cured meat and bread, it is possible to inhibit the growth of microorganisms including salmonella, clostridium botulinum and some moulds.

Traditional methods for analysing water activity require samples to be taken and sent to an in-house or third-party laboratory for analysis, with results obtained in hours or days. Fortunately for producers of ingredients and food products, the robust AquaLab Series 4TE water activity analyser is a simple, quick and cost-effective way of measuring the water activity in a quality assurance laboratory, goods-in inspection department, storage area or alongside the production line. An AquaLab can be used for checking ingredients, end products or as a critical control point within a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) programme. Some food manufacturers also find the AquaLab is invaluable during the development of new products and/or packaging.

The AquaLab Series 4TE not only gives laboratory-grade results, but is also remarkably easy to use by non-specialists, generating results in just five minutes or less (the average read time is 2.5 minutes); any ingredient or batch of product that is out of tolerance can therefore be identified quickly and the relevant production process interrupted well before the manufacturer ships the finished product, thereby minimising waste and avoiding the need for a recall.

With a measurement range of 0.030 to 1.000 aw, most ingredients and food products can be analysed, whether they are in the form of powders, pastes, liquids or solids. Accuracy is +/-0.003 aw and repeatability is +/-0.001 aw.

One of the ways in which the AquaLab Series 4TE achieves accurate, repeatable readings, even in warm production areas or cool storage areas, is the built-in temperature equilibration; users can set the sample temperature to anything from 15 to 50 degrees C, then the analyser maintains that temperature for the duration of the test. Subsequent analyses are undertaken at the same temperature to ensure repeatability.

For analysing samples containing volatiles, Labcell offers the AquaLab Series 4TEV. This instrument is identical to the Series 4TE in most respects, but it benefits from an additional hygroscopic polymer capacitance sensor for analysing samples containing propylene glycol, ethanol and other volatiles, giving an accuracy of +/-0.015 aw. Users can switch between this sensor and the standard dewpoint sensor via the instrument's front panel menu.

Up to 8,000 data points can be stored securely on the instrument and, for every measurement and calibration, the instrument logs the user, date and time. Data is recorded and stored in compliance with the requirements of the FDA's 21 CFR Part 11 rule regarding electronic records and signatures.

For more information about the AquaLab Series 4TE or to request a demonstration telephone Labcell, the sole UK distributor, on 01420 568150, e-mailmail@labcell.com, or look at the website www.labcell.com.

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With compliments:

Taylor Alden Ltd
Unit 2, Temple Place
247 The Broadway
London
SW19 1SD

Tel: 020 8543 3866
margaret@tayloralden.co.uk
www.tayloralden.com