Foss launches oils and fats analyser

Danish food analysis systems provider Foss​ has launched a new oils and fats analyser aimed at improving both quality and productivity.

As much as 25 tonnes or so of edible oil can flow through a typical vegetable oil refinery plant every hour which is why frequent information about the oil in the production process is so important. Any abnormality in the production flow can mean a lot of re-work and ultimately, lost time and profit.

Most plants have an on-site laboratory and run frequent spot checks on oil quality. But using traditional analytical methods, it can take up to an hour and a half to get such critical information. By which time, a lot of oil can have flowed through production. The Foss Oils and Fats Analyser aims to tackle such challenges by delivering results within two minutes. According to the company it can even provide a continuous stream of results fed directly to a PLC system. The analyser thus provides more power to control production. Plant managers and operators can respond quickly to fluctuations in the content and quality of oil in production - effectively avoiding re-work and associated losses. Not least, plant managers can help to improve customer satisfaction by consistently meeting production specifications, Foss claims.

The Oils and Fats Analyser measures key parameters of edible oils. These include Free Fatty Acid (FFA), Phosphorus (P), Moisture (H20), Iodine Value (IV) and a number of other parameters of vegetable oils including sunflower oil, rape seed oil, palm oil, soybean oil and many others.

Results are presented in exactly the way needed to be in full control of production. According to the company measurements are simple to do and take as little as two minutes - allowing a quick decision on quality and storage should this be necessary. No chemicals or solvents are involved and no special training is required to operate the instrument.