Halogen moisture analyzers for soluble coffee

No matter which method soluble coffee is produced by, moisture content monitoring is a must for each process step. Moisture analyzers help to ensure that the moisture content remains between 2-5% in order to meet legal requirements and simultaneously provide a great coffee taste. A German coffee manufacturer supplies the German retail market with soluble coffee in various blends and qualities. Its manufacturing facility produces coffee powder around the clock and adheres to HACCP and ISO 9001 standards. A concentrated coffee extract is transformed into a stable and soluble powder through either freeze- or spray-drying. During an additional step, the fine powder obtained by spray-drying can be agglomerated to form granules. During each of these processes, moisture is monitored at 30 minute intervals with user-friendly and robust halogen moisture analyzers for 24/7 operation in production environments. The prompt delivery of data enables the operator to control the drying process by adjusting process parameters immediately should the need to adjust the moisture content arise. Each production batch released by the QC laboratory includes moisture analysis from the HR83 halogen moisture analyzer to verify that the moisture is within the specified range of 3.5-4.6% as required by the customer’s quality control. This is below the maximum moisture content of 5% as defined by the food law and above 2% moisture, ensuring a full coffee taste. A regular check against the Karl Fischer titration reference method confirms that all halogen moisture analyzers in production and lab environments work accurately. It is this high level of accuracy that is needed to keep coffee as moist as allowed and as dry as required.