Water activity analysers ensure safety of sauces

Premier Foods manufactures a range of table and cooking sauces and pickles at its plant in Bury St Edmunds, UK. In the past the water activity of the products has not been critical due to the nature of the recipes used, but the recent introduction of new products made it essential that water activity be measured as part of the batch approval process in order to maintain product safety and to avoid downtime in the plant that runs 24/7. To meet this need Premier Foods has purchased a pair of Decagon Devices AquaLab Series 3 water activity analysers from Labcell.

Water activity is a measure of the energy status of the water in a system, which might be a solid or powdered food ingredient, or a complex product such as a sauce. The main application of water activity measurement is in the control of microbial growth for food safety, though it is also widely used for maintaining and improving food quality, extending shelf life, developing packaging and increasing the efficiency of production processes. When used appropriately, water activity measurements can also assist in the creation of innovative food products that would be virtually impossible to develop in any other way.

The AquaLab Series 3 analysers purchased by Premier Foods are laboratory-grade instruments that deliver dependable results extremely quickly. They feature a resolution of +/-0.001 aw, an accuracy of +/-0.003 aw.

Ben Bradley, the Recipe Chain Manager at the Bury St Edmunds plant, explains the benefits of having the AquaLab analysers: "The products manufactured today need to be monitored to ensure the water activity is within the acceptable limits for reasons of food safety. A particular advantage of these analysers is their fast response; if we were to identify a problem, we could take action very quickly and avoid or minimise any lost production. In the time we have had the AquaLabs, they have proved to be easy to use, clean and calibrate, and totally reliable."

As well as being pleased with the AquaLabs, Ben Bradley is also appreciative of the support provided by Labcell, saying: "Labcell is a highly professional outfit, delivering fantastic service both pre-sales and aftersales. They even came to Bury St Edmunds to carry out site-wide training, which was an excellent way to raise awareness about water activity within the plant."

The AquaLabs are playing a vital role in ensuring product safety and plant efficiency, plus they are being used in new product development programmes. However, because of the considerable costs that would be incurred in the event of an unplanned plant stoppage, Ben Bradley has recently purchased two Decagon Devices Pawkit portable water activity meters from Labcell. Should anything happen to the AquaLab analysers, the Pawkit devices can be used as a back-up to avoid production having to be halted.

For more information, visit www.labcell.com.