For consumers - Why Gas Analysis is so Important in food and Pharmaceuticals

Posted by Elite Internet Technologies on February 18th, 2016

Food and pharmaceutical technology has progressed as far, and as fast, as other technologies. Consumers often find themselves confronted with new processes, and new ideas in food and pharmaceutical packaging and preparation which are unfamiliar and sometimes downright baffling.

In the all-important area of food safety and quality, unsung heroes in the form of gas analyzers are in the front line of protecting foods and pharmaceutical products
of all kinds. The two main gases of interest in food technology are carbon dioxide and oxygen. Oxygen is the gas which turns food stale. Carbon dioxide may occur as a
result of fermentation, organic chemical processes, bacteria in the food, or chemical problems caused by heat.

More importantly, however, the presence of these gases at higher than standard levels may indicate possibly serious contamination problems. Something as simple as
extra moisture within food packaging, for example, can trigger a whole range of chemical processes. Carbon dioxide is one of the usual products of these processes.

Therefore, if you see unusually high levels of CO2, you know that there is something happening which isn’t supposed to be happening. Oxygen, on the other hand, may be
present as a result of perforations in packaging, or unintentional extra oxygen locked in during the packaging process. That oxygen, of course, will spoil the food.
Both oxygen and CO2 can also sabotage pharmaceuticals, making them effectively useless.

You can see why testing might be a good idea. Carbon dioxide testers and oxygen analyzers are used routinely in the food packaging process as quality controls. In
pharmaceuticals, they are basically mandatory testing processes. This testing is carried out at various stages of production and packaging, to ensure products are
chemically stable and have not been contaminated.

The good news for consumers is that the new generation of oxygen meters, carbon dioxide testers, and multi-gas analysis equipment is infinitely more efficient than in
the past. A good example of the very latest on the market is a company called Quantek Instruments, one of America’s leading manufacturers of testing equipment.

Check out their website here at www.quantekinstruments.com for a good look at the technologies which are making your food and pharmaceuticals safe.