Water activity (aw) measurement plays a critical role in pasta production, both in raw materials and finished products. Water activity significantly affects the texture, taste, color, nutritional value and shelf life of pasta, and therefore serves as an important indicator of product quality. By understanding and controlling water activity, manufacturers can optimize their production processes and ensure that the desired characteristics of each product are consistently achieved.
Microbiological stability
By measuring water activity, the moisture content of pasta can be controlled. An optimal water activity level prevents excessive microbial growth and thus spoilage. Controlling water activity during production and packaging helps to extend shelf life and reduces the risk of quality loss, which in turn ensures product safety for consumers.
Texture and flavor
Measuring water activity is important to achieve the desired texture and flavor of pasta. By controlling the AW value during the drying process, manufacturers can fine-tune moisture content to achieve optimal texture and cookability. Properly dried pasta with the right water activity retains its desired firmness, texture and mouthfeel, improving the overall sensory experience for consumers.
Meeting desired quality standards
Water activity measurement helps ensure that each batch of pasta meets desired quality standards. By monitoring water activity levels, manufacturers can ensure consistent product quality in terms of cooking time, texture and overall properties, resulting in a reliable and satisfying experience for the consumer
Minimizing energy consumption and production costs
By understanding the relationship between water activity and drying time, manufacturers can make their drying processes more efficient, reducing energy consumption and production costs. Setting specific water activity levels allows for efficient drying while maintaining product quality and minimizing the risk of over- or under-drying.
The drying process can be made more efficient by understanding the relationship between water activity and drying time.
Competitive advantage
By focusing on controlling water activity, pasta manufacturers can strengthen their position in the competitive pasta market and provide consumers with exceptional products.
PST offers a wide range of Rotronic water activity measurement instruments, from easy-to-use handheld devices to high-end benchtop instruments for regulated markets such as the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Rotronic water activity probes use HygroClip digital technology, which ensures high performance and easy digital calibration. This makes them suitable for use in virtually all applications. All water activity stations/tabletop units and probes feature temperature measurement as standard. The water activity stations measure water activity in the range 0...1 aw (0...100 %rh) and provide a digital output signal that can be displayed directly either on the PC, via device display, web browser or app.
Digital calibration can be performed using the display instrument, or PC software. The HC2-AW measuring stations have a large, thermally effective mass. This means that the probes react very sluggishly to temperature changes, so that hardly any fluctuations occur during the measurement, especially when using the AW-Quick function. The extremely small internal volume of the sensor chamber ensures that the moisture equilibrium is established very quickly for all products.
Contact our experienced engineers to discuss your application needs.