An Automated Method to Monitor Dairy Acidification
Acidification starters are one of the most challenging processes for dairy and fermented foods, as slight deviations can result in heavy financial losses due to the effect on the product quality. There is no way to visually determine the acidity level of dairy products, which means manual efforts are required to collect a milk sample and analyze with a test kit, or in a lab setting. This can become a time-consuming and costly effort, with many outside variables – including human error – that can affect the process.
A Streamlined Method for Acidification Testing
One dairy quality lab began a search for alternatives to conduct dairy acidity tests with greater ease and efficiency. To their surprise, they only found one verifiable solution: the iCinac system. The iCinac is currently the only system on the market dedicated to monitoring acidification activity of lactic elements, which simultaneously observes changes in pH, temperature, and redox potential of one or several samples at a time.
The appropriate inocula can be defined and controlled by characterizing the acid formation of a specific phylum and knowing the specific test parameters’ influence.
How the iCinac Made an Instant Impact
The iCinac paid back in several ways, including:
- Allowing the QC engineers to find the most efficient acidification starter for manufacturing needs
- Providing the operators with a greater command of the consistency from each batch of starters
- Helping to verify whether their process is well controlled
Many large companies around the world have already standardized their milk acidification testing with the iCinac platform at the core of their process. Additionally, the iCinac meets ISO 26323|IDF 213 – the industry standard for determining dairy cultures’ acidification activity by continuous pH measurement.
Read more about the iCinac L.A.B. Fermentation Monitor Series here.
