At a German cheese producer, glass-free pH sensors from METTLER TOLEDO are being successfully used to control cultivation of starter culture in fermentation reactors. The sensor fully meets strict process safety requirements.
German Dairy Producer
Our customer is a German specialist producer of cheeses such as camembert and brie. Within their highly modern installations, strict hygienic procedures and quality checks accompany the complete production process. The customer’s factory is certified in accordance with the internationally recognized standards DIN EN ISO 9001, American Institute of Baking, British Retail Consortium and International Food Standard. The factory is dependent upon an intact environment being maintained and therefore pays close attention to protection both of the environment and resources.
Importance of pH
pH value plays an important role in cheesemaking, particularly in the propagation of starter culture. Previously, pH measurements at our customer’s factory were carried out using electrodes made of glass, which accordingly carried a certain risk of breakage. Against a background of the safety requirements in force, these glass electrodes were therefore classified as CCP according to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept, and consequently appropriately monitored.
pH Measurement Using ISFET Sensors
In striving for improved process safety, the company decided to employ the totally glass-free sensor InPro 3300 from METTLER TOLEDO. This ISFET-type sensor contains absolutely no glass whatsoever. Instead of a glass membrane, a microchip is used and the sensor body is made of PEEK material approved by the FDA for food contact. An ISFET sensor is therefore particularly suitable for pH measurement tasks in food processing operations and is fully compatible with the HACCP concept, since the risks attached to glass are eliminated. ISFET sensors can be used to perform in-line pH measurement in pipes, vessels and fermentation reactors. In this particular application, the plant for the preparation of the starter culture consisted of four parallel-operated fermenters.
Complete Solution from METTLER TOLEDO
Each of the four fermenters has been equipped with a pH measurement point from METTLER TOLEDO. A complete system consists of an InPro 3300 pH sensor, an InTrac 797 retractable housing with double flushing chamber, and a multi-functional pH 2100e transmitter.
Glass-free Sensors Enhance Process Safety
Having made the switch to the InPro 3300, there is no longer need to monitor the sensor relative to glass breakage. Through particular attention to the strict certification requirements governing operational procedures and process safety, as well as compliance with a number of internationally recognized standards relating to food protection, production and storage, our customer was able to pass the rigorous audits of the certifying bodies with distinction. An achievement due in part to the use of certified, glass-free pH measurement technology from METTLER TOLEDO.