Tagi Oferty: water

Basic physicochemical parameters

In order to assess the quality of food products it is possible to perform analytical tests on a number of basic physical and chemical parameters characteristic for a given foodstuff, which are often included in product specifications along with specific criteria. Requirements for some of them can also be found in the legal acts in force. The most common ones include:

  • protein, fat/oil/fatty matter, ash, moisture/water and volatile matter/dry matter, which are essential constituents of foodstuffs for nutrition labeling, but are also important quality parameters for certain types of foodstuffs, e.g. meat and meat products, milk, cheese, oilseeds, etc.,
  • net mass is an analysis carried out mainly in pre-packaged products, the permissible negative values of the unit pack quantity error,
  • acid value/free fatty acids, peroxide value, anisidine value are analysed in oils and fats and in fat extracted from a range of products containing it, in order to assess their quality in terms of the changes associated with fat rancidity,
  • collagen, whose content is determined by hydroxyproline analysis, is a connective tissue protein found in meat and meat products. Regulations specifiy the maximum connective tissue content (collagen content in meat protein) of various types of meat,
  • total acidity, pH are quality parameters characteristic of milk, fermented beverages, fruit and vegetable preparations and soft drinks, among others,
  • volatile acidity, total extract are mostly determined in soft drinks and fruit and vegetable preparations,
  • insoluble ash in hydrochloric acid solutions makes it possible to determine the level of impurities of mineral origin, such as sand in fruit, vegetables and their preparations, confectionery, herbs and spices,
  • total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N)) and histamine are determined in fish and fish products as an indicator of freshness. The TVB requirements for certain fish species are contained in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 of 5 December 2005. Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, as amended, sets out criteria for histamine,
  • glaze content is an analysis carried out on frozen fish and seafood that is glazed, i.e. covered with a layer of ice in order to protect the product from changing colour, loss of resilience, drying and spoilage. Verification of this parameter is important from the point of view of commercial quality because information on the glaze content must be included on the package,
  • the falling number, wet gluten, Zeleny sedimentation index and bulk density of the grain are, in addition to protein and moisture content, parameters specific to the qualitative assessment of cereal grains,
  • carbon dioxide used in the production of waters and other carbonated beverages, beer is analysed in order to confirm the degree of saturation of the tested product with this compound. The Ordinance of the Minister of Health of 31 March 2011 on natural mineral waters, spring waters and table waters (Journal of Laws No. 85, item 466) presents the criteria for the classification of waters according to the degree of saturation with carbon dioxide,
  • density is used in liquid foodstuffs as a quality parameter e.g. in juices, oils or to convert parameters expressed as weight percentages into units of volume.

In the field of quality assessment of animal feedingstuffs, tests are performed on basic analytical components such as protein, fat, ash, crude fibre and others. Tolerances for the declared contents in feed materials and mixtures are indicated in Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed, amending European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 and repealing Council Directive 79/373/EEC, Commission Directive 80/511/EEC, Council Directives 82/471/EEC, 83/228/EEC, 93/74/EEC, 93/113/EC and 96/25/EC and Commission Decision 2004/217/EC, as amended, and for pet food the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice for Pet Food.

The laboratory of J.S. Hamilton Poland performs tests of the above quality parameters using accredited methods of weighing, titration, potentiometry, refractometry, spectrophotometry, pressure, oscillation. Should you need tests of any of these kinds, do not hesitate to get in touch with our specialists.

Heavy metals

Heavy metals are an example of contaminants that penetrate into food and feed products to a significant extent from the surrounding environment. According to available literature, plants and products of plant origin, such as bread and all cereal products, fish and seafood, are most vulnerable to contamination.

The heavy metals most frequently associated with the development of health problems are cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic. Long-term exposure to elevated levels of these elements may cause an increased risk of cancer and nervous system disorders, as well as immune system dysfunction.The primary source of migration of heavy metals into the environment is industrial dust and wastewater discharged into waterways and ultimately entering the food chain. Many metals can enter food as industrial by-products and waste.

Maximum levels for heavy metals in foodstuffs and animal feed are regulated and contained in the relevant legislation. In the case of foodstuffs, there is Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs, as amended, which also sets requirements for tin in canned foodstuffs. For animal feed, the limits are set out in Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed, as amended.

Investigations into heavy metals levels are carried out at the J.S. Hamilton Poland Laboratory in Gdynia and the Hamilton UO-Technology in Słomczyn with the use of appropriately developed research methodologies – based on the guidelines of Polish and international standards, as well as own research procedures. The most frequently used are the technique of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma ionisation mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Should you want to check your food or feed for metal content, contact our team and schedule tests with us.

Trainings

ABOUT TRAINING COURSES

J.S. Hamilton Poland conducts prestigious seminars, trainings, workshops and laboratory classes aimed at the food, cosmetics and household chemistry, packaging and environmental protection sectors. The participants of training courses can be: technologists, quality and laboratory workers, production department employees, personnel responsible for quality and product safety, managers and employees of legal or marketing departments. Everyone can raise their professional competence, improve work efficiency and better prepare themselves to carry out their professional tasks at a relatively low cost of training. J.S. Hamilton Poland is registered in the Register of Training Institutions (RIS) and the Database of Development Services – PARP, which allows the participants of our training courses to obtain co-financing of training from public funds.

Moreover, the competence of the trainers and the quality of the trainings conducted have been confirmed by the ISO 9001: 2015-10 Certificate in the scope of training and development and consulting services.

AREAS OF TRAINING

Our offer includes training in areas such as:

  • Food safety and quality, including training courses and workshops covering: sensory evaluation, microbiological testing, allergen and GMO analysis, food safety management systems, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC, BRC and IFS systems for retail chains, commodity and food quality training;
  • feed safety, the implementation of HACCP procedures, the GMP+ system, the legal aspects of trade in feed and provisions relating to its labeling;
  • Packaging, including: training on BRC food packaging safety, global and specific migration, eco-design, life cycle and packaging recycling;
  • Cosmetics, including: training and workshops on sensory and microbiological analysis of cosmetics, legal requirements for safe use and labeling of cosmetic preparations;
  • Environmental protection, including: training and workshops on sewage sludge management, packaging waste management, municipal tasks in the field of environmental protection, charges for using the environment;
  • Chemicals and petroleum products, including: training in liquid fuel sampling light fuel oil sampling, test methods for fuel oil and liquid fuels, quantity accounting for fuel oil.

TRAINING STAFF

Training courses are conducted by lecturers drawn from our own staff, using their extensive knowledge and experience. We also invite experts and auditors of leading certification companies, employees of consulting companies from Poland and abroad to give lectures.

The mission of our company is to take care of the welfare of our customers by satisfying the educational needs of the participants of our seminars and training courses and by organising training courses at the highest level.

TRAINING PACKAGES

We offer training packages, covered by a special discount, which will allow you to obtain the necessary knowledge in a given subject. After each training included in the package you receive a certificate confirming your participation in the training, and completion of the whole package guarantees obtaining a specialist certificate.

CLOSED TRAINING

In order to meet the expectations of our clients, we organise training adapted to the needs and specificity of the company. Each training included in the training schedule can be realised as a closed training on customer’s request. This also applies to training courses which are not listed in the training schedule.

Training courses and workshops are organised at a time and location determined by the client. Programs are usually priced according to the number of days and the number of participants so that the company can save considerable sums of money in the case of larger groups and reduce travel and accommodation costs by organising the training at its own premises. Each participant receives training materials. The training ends with a certificate or attestation confirming the highest quality of training.

QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT ACADEMY J.S.HAMILTON POLAND

The Training and Audit Department of J.S. Hamilton Poland also invites for a cycle of training courses, which in a comprehensive way prepares present and future employees of quality departments of food industry companies for the role of managers responsible for the development, implementation and improvement of food and packaging safety and quality management systems.

In one semester (165 hours), students of the Academy acquire knowledge in the areas of food contaminants, sensory analysis, packaging regulations, quality management system requirements and food safety. Our lecturers, experienced auditors and managers of quality departments in food industry companies, share their practical knowledge with the students on how to carry out and document audits and interpret legal provisions.