Salt in Food Products
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of the sodium that Americans consume doesn’t come from regular table salt but instead comes from consuming prepared and packaged foods, such as chips, crackers, soups, pizza, deli meat sandwiches, and more. Since these foods contain too much sodium, it makes it very difficult for individuals looking to cut down their sodium intake. Because of this, the FDA has been working with the food industry in an effort to reduce the sodium content in various foods.
Sodium is used across a range of food applications, including baking, thickening, curing meat, enhancing flavor, and more. Although these are all important uses, it is very important to monitor salt content to ensure you are not using too much or too little. The increased scrutiny over nutritional labeling, coupled with the importance of salt in taste and shelf stability, makes it essential for food processors to establish and maintain desired salt levels in product recipes.
The Salt Analyzer: What Is It and What Does It Do?
Econo-Pak’s new salt analyzer offers food processors a rapid, accurate, and easy-to-use method to monitor salt levels in various foods. It analyzes salt content in solutions by measuring solution temperature and conductivity. The internal microprocessor mathematically compensates for any shifts in solution temperature and translates to salt concentration, displaying the results in different units.
Depending on the food product being analyzed, you can use the non-contact dip-in probe or a flow-through column, both of which use non-corroding internal electrodes. This eliminates turbulent flow and ensures precise sample repeatability while keeping the bore obstruction-free.
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Food Products You Can Analyze With a Salt Analyzer
A salt analyzer can measure sodium content in several foods, including:
- Meat packaging products
- Processed beef
- Sausage and similar products
- Butter and margarine
- Cheese
- Packaged meats (canned, glass)
- Prepared meats
- Peanut butter
- Packaged vegetables (canned, glass)
- Eggs (frozen, liquid, or dried)
- Vinegar
- Packaged seafood (canned, glass)
- Wheat flour
- Frozen dinners
- Cereals
- Snacks (chips, pretzels, popcorn)
Econo-Pak’s DiCromat IITM Salt Analyzer
The Econo-Pak DiCromat IITM Salt Analyzer comes with several benefits, including:
- Easy to use. Our salt analyzer is easy to use – simply prepare your sample and use the membrane keypad to program each sample’s name, testing time, and date. Unlike other salt analyzers, the Econo-Pak DiCromat II™ is easy to clean as it doesn’t need to be disassembled.
- Versatile. The Econo-Pak salt analyzer’s compact design allows testing to be conducted either on the line or back in the laboratory, while the standard RS-232 digital output allows it to be linked to any computer or printer to produce a permanent record.
- Fast and accurate. With the Econo-Pak DiCromat II™, you can measure salt concentrations from less than 0.1 to over 26% by weight without dilution and 100% salt with dilution and get your results within seconds.
- Backed by quality service. At Econo-Pak, we’re dedicated to providing a high-quality product that meets customer expectations as well as rigorous regulatory standards, such as the FDA and Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI).
Your Partner for Your Food Packaging Needs
At Econo-Pak, we specialize in food packaging such as bagging, wrapping, pouching, cartoning, and procurement. With our dedication to quality, we strive to help people live healthier lives by providing the necessary tools to make that happen. For more information about our DiCromat II™ salt analyzer, or to learn more about our food packaging capabilities, contact us today or request a free quote.
