Water activity analysis spiced up

British Pepper & Spice has acquired an AquaLab series 4TE water activity analyser from Labcell to raise its quality assurance regime for pastes and sauces. The analyser is more accurate and easier to maintain than the unit it replaced.

End-of-line water activity measurements are used by British Pepper & Spice as part of its hazard analysis critical control point procedure to ensure product safety and stability. Aside from the improved speed tests take just from three to five minutes and accuracy, the AquaLab reads to four decimal places and is easier to clean.

“However careful you are, when working with sticky products such as redcurrant jelly it is inevitable that parts of the analyser require cleaning,” says technical manager Kate Harding.

“With the AquaLab we can dismantle and clean it ourselves very simply. Moreover, Labcell offers a loan unit so, if we ever need to send the AquaLab away, we know we will not be without a water activity analyser for more than 24 hours.”

The analyser also has temperature ‘equilibration’, whereby users can set the sample temperature between 15°C to 50°C and the analyser then maintains that temperature throughout the test for measurement accuracy and consistency between tests.

British Pepper & Spice is now planning to use the AquaLab for new product development as well.

Contact: Labcell