Modified atmosphere packaging – making the right choice of gas analysis
February 2022Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is used within the food and pharmaceutical sectors to extend the shelf life of many products that would otherwise deteriorate quickly in the presence of oxygen. It replaces the atmospheric air inside a package with a protective gas mix that helps ensure that the product will stay fresh for as long as possible. Gas analysis plays an essential role in making certain that the gas mix is correct, maintaining product quality.
The Servoflex MiniFoodPack 5200 is specifically designed to meet the needs of the food and pharmaceutical industries for this application. It enables accurate quality control checks for the common gas mixtures used for MAP.
A compact, robust analyser, the MiniFoodPack 5200 is a portable benchtop device that is easy to set up and operate. It has minimal maintenance requirements and delivers industry-leading monitoring of oxygen and carbon dioxide, with single or dual-measurement options.
For oxygen (O2), the analyser uses Servomex’s proven, paramagnetic sensing technology which provides fast, accurate and sensitive measurements at percentage levels. The paramagnetic cell consists of two nitrogen-filled glass spheres, mounted within a magnetic field, on a rotating suspension. The cell also has a centrally-located mirror; light shines onto the mirror and is reflected onto a pair of photocells.
O2 is naturally attracted to the magnetic field, so it displaces the glass spheres and causes the suspension to rotate. This is, in turn, detected by the photocells; current is applied through a feedback coil, providing sufficient torque to return the suspension to its original position. The magnitude of the current applied is directly proportional to the O2 present in the sample gas mixture.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements are provided by Servomex’s advanced, non-depleting infrared sensor. This focuses an infrared light source through a sample cell – holding a continuously flowing sample of the gas mixture – and onto a detector after wavelength selection. The property of CO2 to absorb a unique light wavelength is then used to detect the concentration of the gas in a mixture.
Paramagnetic and Infrared technologies are both non-depleting – the sensor cell never needs changing (unlike electrochemical cells) and performance does not deteriorate over time. This means that the MiniFoodPack 5200 has a long operational life and does not require much work to calibrate or maintain.
Additionally, the analyser is highly flexible, with a rechargeable battery option for complete portability and a range of sampling accessories that allow measurements to be taken from rigid or flexible packaging. This includes an internal pump with solenoid valve option for external vacuum pump or syringe sample draw.
The MiniFoodPack 5200 is part of Servomex’s Servoflex range of portable analysers for accurate, reliable gas analysis, each developed to meet specific application requirements. The products are ergonomically designed to be easy to handle, compact enough to use anywhere and robust enough to be carried around.
Analysers achieve OIML R140/MID accuracy class A certification
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Qmicro by Sensirion has received the OIML R140/MID accuracy class A certificate No. TC12537 for its DynamiQ-X GC analysers for the analysis of natural gas and natural gas blended with hydrogen.
Read more...Sustainable water management Wearcheck
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Water sustainability is critical for the future wellbeing of people, land and marine ecosystems, and socio-economic development. WearCheck Water provides a range of water analysis techniques to determine water quality for various sectors, including mining, agriculture, domestic and the healthcare industry.”
Read more...Biofilm monitoring system Instek Control
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Alvim, through Instek Controls, provides innovative, high-tech solutions for biofilm and biofouling monitoring in industrial plants.
Read more...WearCheck Water earns AdBlue/DEF analysis accreditation Wearcheck
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
WearCheck Water recently became the first laboratory in Africa to be officially ISO17025 accredited to test AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid by the South African National Accreditation System.
Read more...Streamlining strain gauge load cell integration Vepac Electronics
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Vepac’s data acquisition hardware provides an efficient and effective all-in-one solution for customers looking to simplify, enhance and optimise their strain gauge load cell systems.
Read more...Oxygen measurement in beverages Anton Paar
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
[Sponsored] Anton Paar offers a complete range of oxygen measurement instruments for total package oxygen (TPO) measurements, at-line quality control (QC), and in-process monitoring. These instruments help beverage manufacturers achieve accurate, reliable oxygen control at every stage of production.
Read more...Sensors and controls for food, beverage and pharmaceutical Instek Control
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Included in Instek Control’s range is Anderson-Negele, which has adopted ‘Hygienic By Design’ as its guiding principle, with a particular focus on meeting the stringent regulatory requirements found in industries such as dairy, brewery or pharmaceutical.
Read more...Vertical labelling of test tubes in clinical laboratories Omron Electronics
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Werfen has implemented a new automated machine for the supply of reagents to drug toxicology laboratories, built by MACCO in collaboration with OMRON and Marini Pandolfi. It uses OMRON SCARA robots and advanced vision systems to ensure reagent quality through vertical handling and labelling process of test tubes.
Read more...Keeping a close eye on product quality and purity Endress+Hauser South Africa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Colour measurements are necessary in many processes to avoid product losses and ensure safe production and batching.
Read more...The importance of environmental monitoring and visibility at data centres Legrand
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Data centres are one of the most energy-intensive building types, consuming up to 50 times the energy per floor space compared to a typical commercial office building. With organisations embracing advanced technologies, data centres powering these technologies are under increasing pressure around the globe to increase capacities and improve efficiencies.
printer friendly version