The moisture content in (raw materials for) food products is crucial for the processing, suitability for storage, shelf life and quality of the (end) product. Knowing the moisture content in raw materials, intermediate products and final products helps food manufacturers to optimize the production process, maintain quality at the desired level, comply with laws and regulations and maximize profits.
Measuring moisture in food and feed
As a food manufacturer, knowing the moisture content during every production phase is a must for quality and cost control. However, there are five methods to measure moisture in food products:
How do you choose the best method for moisture analysis for food products or animal feed?
Choosing the right method for moisture determination can be difficult and there is no clear answer to this question. However, there are a number of factors that can help you determine the best measurement method for your process:
First ask yourself why it is important for you to measure moisture in food products.
Do you particularly want to improve the quality of your product or maintain it at a desired high level? Or are you mainly interested in a more efficient drying process, where you save energy and increase productivity? What you want to achieve is an important factor in determining the best measurement method for your organization. Moreover, choosing an inline moisture analyzer often results in gains in more than one area.
NB Many animal feed producers dry in the open air. The efficiency of a drying process is therefore dependent on the outside air and not constant, making an in-line moisture analyzer indispensable to optimize the drying process. Ask our product managers about the most suitable moisture analyzers for your process.
A second consideration you need to make is how quickly you want results.
The Karl Fischer Titration and Loss on Drying are methods that are applied in the laboratory and take considerably longer. With the Karl Fischer Titration it is important to get your product into solution. This can cause difficulties for solids such as candy, wheat, biscuits, dough and, for example, rice. Moreover, it is important that chemical analysts are present in-house who can carry out the measurements. With the LOD method, volatile components such as alcohol or fat that evaporate like water are also measured as moisture. The first two methods are destructive to the sample you are using. If you want to adjust the process immediately, you can opt for an in-line measurement. Only the Near Infrared and Microwave Resonance methods can be used in-line in the process for moisture analysis. You can connect the moisture analyzer directly to your process automation. If the moisture content threatens to exceed specifications, you can immediately change numerous process parameters. Your process is thus better controlled, which results in savings through less waste or lower energy consumption, but also for better and more consistent product quality.
The shape of your product is also a consideration. In coffee beans, for example, it is easy to imagine that the moisture content in the core of the bean is higher than on the outside. The penetration depth of Near Infrared is often insufficient. Near-infrared analyzers could therefore be less reliable in such a case. Microwaves penetrate many times deeper into the matter, up to a few centimeters, and therefore provide a more representative result with a moisture gradient. Another consideration is whether you also want to measure other parameters than just moisture; then NIR (with the right form) can be a better choice for you.
A final consideration that influences the choice of a method is the amount of moisture present in the product.
The dynamic measuring range of the moisture analyzer must match the specifications of your product. Moisture measurements are ideally made on the raw materials at the beginning of the process, before and after the drying step and at the end of the process. However, depending on your process installations, it is sufficient to measure the moisture content immediately after the drying process. The temperature of your product also plays a role. Higher temperatures can negatively affect the reliability of the measurements.
Let us help you optimize your process
Inventech Benelux is a specialist supplier of advanced analysis instruments. With our range, complementary service and expertise, we emphasize the complete unburdening of our customers regarding measurement processes. We advise, provide service and carry out calibration and maintenance work. Us range of analysis instruments for the accurate measurement of moisture in food can be used in the laboratory, at-line or in-line.
Discover the possibilities for measuring moisture in food
Our product managers are happy to inform and advise you about measuring moisture in food products. In addition to moisture measurements for food, we also supply instruments that can help you determine other parameters that influence the quality of your (end) product. Contact us today without obligation Contact on with Inventech.
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