News. Flavors & Ingredients. Optimal Moisture Control Guarantees Excellent Quality. Weighing and Analysis in the Laboratory

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1 Flavors & Ingredients Weighing and Analysis in the Laboratory 6 News Optimal Moisture Control Guarantees Excellent Quality Shanghai Apple Flavour & Fragrance Co., Ltd. is one of the industry leaders in China manufacturing food flavours, fragrances and food additives amongst other things. The company relies on METTLER TOLEDO s Halogen Moisture Analyzer and Karl Fischer Titrator to determine moisture content for the production of their 5,000 product varieties. Quality Control of Flavours & Fragrances Flavours and fragrances can be divided into many types, such as water soluble, oil soluble, emulsions and powders with very different characteristics. Before a new product may be introduced onto the market, quality control parameters such as refractive index, density index, peroxide value, granularity, ph value and moisture content have to be determined. One of the most frequently measured indexes is moisture content as excessive moisture can cause powder flavour to agglomerate. Stable moisture content needs to be ensured to maintain the consistent quality of each product batch. Moisture Control of Solid Flavours The quality control lab of Shanghai Apple uses an HG53 Halogen Moisture Analyzer to measure the moisture content of solid aromas. The analysis process is very simple: first, mix the sample, set the moisture analyzer, weigh a certain volume of sample into the aluminium sample pan and distribute evenly, then press the start key to measure. The circular halogen lamp and gold-plated reflector ensure the repeatability and fast heating of the sample. Testing time is greatly reduced from several hours to less than 10 minutes in comparison with the conventional drying oven method. The quality control lab s level of efficiency is therefore greatly improved.

2 Moisture Control Moisture Control of Liquid Flavours For liquid flavours, such as water soluble and oil soluble flavours, Shanghai Apple uses METTLER TOLEDO s DL38 Karl Fischer titrator to conduct moisture control analysis. The Karl Fischer titrator s reagent will directly react with the water in the sample making it the most accurate chemical method for measuring substance water content. In the laboratory, the Karl Fischer titrator is connected to a printer and LabX software for instrument control and data management. The K a r l Fischer titrator has many advantages. For example, it can test a wide range of samples and moisture contents with rapid, accurate and highly repetitive results, says Huang Yanbin, manager of the Quality Control Dept. When connected to a METTLER TOLEDO printer, the test report and measurement are fully in compliance with GLP regulations. This, in connection with the LabX software can realize real-time monitoring, analyze and evaluate a large quantity of results. Our customer also uses our fully automatic titrator and density meter to analyze the ingredients of raw materials, the density of flavours and fragrances and to guarantee the safety and stability of their products. Take a look at the successor to the HG53, the HG63, fulfils all the above requirements and many more besides. } } Publisher Mettler-Toledo AG Laboratory & Weighing Technologies Im Langacher CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland Production Segment Marketing LAB Switzerland Technical articles Mettler-Toledo AG Laboratory & Weighing Technologies Analytical Instruments Subject to technical changes. Mettler-Toledo AG 08/01 Printed in Switzerland. 2

3 Formula Weighing Efficient Formula Weighing With XP Balances & LabX Software Formula weighing-in the food and flavor industry requires high accuracy so that each batch of finished products is of exactly the same quality. Simultaneously, all the report and data requirements need to be met in order to be easily traced and documented to conform to GxP. METTLER TOLEDO s XP Precision Balance together with LabX software transforms the traditional formula weighing process into a powerful data system. Right Mixture is Everything Regardless of which flavorings are involved, formulation requires precision. Incorrect mixtures are costly and may even be disastrous. Irrespective of the complexity of formulas, materials or quantities, METTLER TOLEDO s formula weighing solutions can fulfil all the requirements. Right from preparing formulae mixtures to documenting their composition, formula weighing has never been so easy and assured. Eight recipes, each with up to twelve components, can be stored in the balance and called up conveniently at the touch of a fingertip on the SmartScreen. Clear instructions and color-coded weighing aids guide you step by step through the formula weighing. Maximum security is assured by the FormCheck function which only allows uniquely identified samples into the formula. In addition, formulae can be weighed horizontally, vertically or in batches. variations on a master recipe. In such a case, working with a stand-alone balance or balance application no longer fulfils the complexity of these tasks. METTLER TOLEDO s LabX balance PCbased software uses a powerful lean interface with the same user philosophy from other Windows office software packages. This means that the full software potential can be recognized right from the start. Documenting the weighing takes only a keystroke. If required, each component can be identified with alphanumeric identification. Other key features are: n Simultaneous weight capture from multiple balances connected directly to the network n User-definable totalization application stored as a job template n Full user guidance on the balance display and PC n Comprehensive report, including the ingredient identities, sum of ingredients and weighing parameters n All data securely stored in a SQL server database } } Powerful Software The traceability of sample identities and weighing data is a growing requirement for fulfilling regulatory compliance and increasing lab efficiency. This is especially relevant when weighing valuable raw materials to produce mixtures according to a defined recipe or experimenting with 3

4 One Click Titration Four Steps to Successful Titration Automation The quality control laboratory of Givaudan in Geneva requires a powerful titration application for high sample throughput and fast and reliable results without user intervention. Read on and find out how METTLER TOLEDO reduces their laboratory s response time from 2 days to only a few hours with their automated titration system. Step 1 Throughput In Givaudan s quality control lab in their headquarters in Geneva, more than 1,500 raw materials for perfumes are produced and analyzed. 30 titrations per day are performed to determine ketones, aldehydes, esters, lactones, halogenides, amines or the base index. The Rondo 20 sample changer makes this throughput possible. Up to 20 samples are placed on one sample changer with analyses also being performed during the night, which elongates a normal working day for Givaudan to 24 hours! Step 2 Preparation Many of the redox titrations require intensive sample preparation. The complete oxidation can only be achieved if the sample is heated up to 70 C between 10 min and 2h, depending on the sample type. This step used to require much manual work and time. The heating unit DH100 now takes care of everything controlled by the titrator. After the addition of the oxidizing agent it automatically heats the sample up to the required temperature for the defined time according to the method. Afterwards the titration is started immediately. Step 3 Protection Due to the nature of the products, most of the samples have a strong odor and the laboratory environment must be protected against it. Many samples are also highly sensitive to oxidation by the ambient air. Therefore, the sample must be closed before titration. How can this happen when the samples are placed on the sample changer some hours before titration? CoverUp, the smart lid handling device, has the answer: A magnetic cover is placed on every sample beaker. Immediately before titration it is lifted up and after titration released back onto the beaker again. This protects samples and operators alike. The CoverUp lid handling device protects samples and environment 4

5 Step 4 Result documentation Many sample analyses yield many results. The management of the documentation can be a demanding task that should be automated using PC software. LabX titration gives the operators total control over the titration systems and collects all the different data in one common database where it is safely stored and always available for review. The common method database guarantees that the same analysis can be performed on different instruments with results still being comparable. Sylvain Plagellat, the head of the analytical control laboratory at Givaudan Suisse SA in Geneva, made these four steps to titration automation. Using the automated titration systems we could significantly improve the quality, repeatability and speed of our analyses. The laboratory can now reduce the average response time from two days to a few hours. This also speeds up the complete production process because the batches can be released much faster. Sylvain Plagellat just received another titration system with a T90 Excellence titrator and a Rondo 60 sample changer for fully automated sample aliquotation. Together with METTLER TOLEDO, Givaudan is ready to take the next step in automation. The titration system with accessories are optimized to require only a minimum of user interaction }

6 DSC Packaging Quality Increases Consumer Satisfaction Food packaging may significantly affect the quality of food and therefore have a profound impact on the product as well as on consumer convenience and satisfaction. METTLER TOLEDO s TGA ensures packing material quality for the food & flavor industries. Packaging has multi-functions, such as protecting the product from spoiling, -odors and flavors, as well as physical protection during transport. High demands are placed on the materials to produce acceptable and suitable food packaging products. The properties required include: n mechanical flexibility and strength n compatibility with the product n low diffusivity against gases (such as oxygen or moisture) n thermal stability The example below demonstrates how thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) can be used to investigate the origin of an odd almond flavor in pineapples packaged in polypropylene film material. During the packaging process, the polypropylene film is slowly heated to 250 C. Investigating the decomposition behaviour The polypropylene film in question contained bis(methylbenzylidene)sorbitol (BMBS) as a crystallization agent. This additive favors the formation of nucleation centers for polypropylene and improves the desired optical transparency of the package. A possible source of the odd almond flavor of the pineapples was identified as p-methylbenzaldehyde (PMB).The obvious question was therefore whether PMB was formed at the packaging process temperature through the decomposition of BMBS. The TGA/DSC 1 curve in Figure 1 exhib- Figure 1. TGA-MS measurement of the packaging material (Source: Collected Applications - Food) 6

7 its mass loss indicating decomposition of the material from about 250 C onward. Simultaneously recorded MS curves for masses characteristic for PMB (m/z 120 and m/z 91), show that PMB is evolved above 250 C. This suggests that the BMBS additive (used to optimize the transparency of the packaging material) is the ultimate source of the PMB. The combination of the TGA/DSC 1 and a mass spectrometer is a powerful tool for investigating the decomposition behavior of polypropylene films used for food packaging. In addition, the TGA/DSC 1 provides benefits such as outstanding thermogravimetric measurement performance, simultaneous calorimetric analysis and manual or automated operation. It is therefore an extremely useful instrument for research and development, quality control and for the ultimate goal of improving consumer satisfaction. } 7

8 New Products and Technologies From METTLER TOLEDO METTLER TOLEDO delivers powerful solutions that simplify work in laboratories around the world. Combining our state-of-the-art technologies with our applicative competence, we have a strong value proposition to make: accurate results and productivity second to none. Weighing Solutions and Analytical Instruments E-Man Hybrid From RAININ The future of manual pipetting today! By combining the simplicity of a manual pipette with the added features and benefits of an electronic pipette, such as an electronic real-time display and added features like a cycle counter or maintenance and technique alert, the E-Man Hybrid brings together the advantages of both systems in one great product. Fabulous Food Thanks to New Portable Brix meters The portable Quick-Brix 60 and 90 are ideal for anybody in the agricultural and food industry who needs to measure sugar content (Brix) simply, reliably and in a cost effective manner. The instruments are ideal for determining the optimum harvesting times of fruit and vegetables and the optimum quality of food ingredients, such as honey, jam or sugar levels, in beverages. The Next Level of One Click Titration The new version 2 of the Titration Excellence line offers many improvements that make titration simpler, more efficient and secure. The new Rondo 30 sample changer flexibly handles complex titration procedures and saves your precious samples due to a smaller beaker volume. The powerful LabX titration PC software gives total control and saves all data in the database. Find out about all other advantages and improvements of One Click Titration! Plug & Play Titration Sensors Ensuring the Right Aroma of Flavours A comprehensive range of 17 Plug & Play ph glass, platinum and silver titration sensors is now available. The sensors cover the entire applications spectrum from routine ph measurements to special titrations in difficult sample matrices. The sensor chip in the electrode head stores all relevant data which is automatically read into the titrator setup when the sensor is connected. The design has been optimized for faster response times and signal equilibration as well as for ruggedness and durability to achieve reliable results in a multitude of sample matrices. Mettler-Toledo AG Laboratory & Weighing Technologies Im Langacher CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland Mettler-Toledo AG Analytical Instruments Sonnenbergstrasse 74 CH-8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland Your METTLER TOLEDO contact: For more information