A palatable product
Critical to sauce quality are the salt content and total acid value (TAV), both of which can significantly influence flavor. Lee Kum Kee has adopted METTLER TOLEDO’s EasyPlus titrators to guarantee consistent quality and predictable flavor profiles, and to meet objective qualitative and quantitative criteria.
A company representative explains: “We determine sauces’ TAV according to China National Standard GB/T 12456-2008 (Determination of Total Acid in Foods) using METTLER TOLEDO’s Easy pH (ET18) titrator. We used to determine TAV by manual titration, but the color change was difficult to distinguish due to the color of the soy sauce itself. The Easy pH titrators are very simple to operate, and the process automation ensures we can complete a variety of tests, in spite of limited personnel, to ensure the best quality in new products.”
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Chinese cuisine has been acclaimed since ancient times for its appetizing dishes, each with a characteristic appearance and taste. Soy and other sauces play an integral role in rounding off their flavor and aroma, and ensuring their appeal, but consistent quality is necessary to guarantee a desired flavor profile.
The Lee Kum Kee company, based in Hong Kong, is renowned worldwide for the quality of its products. Their reputation was established in 1888 with the invention, by the founder, Mr. Lee Kum Sheung, of oyster sauce. With over a hundred years of research and development to their name, their sauces and condiments have become a household name in Asian cuisine.
At the center of product development is their R&D center in Shanghai, where each new product is put through a set of rigorous quality tests. To cope with their intensive daily testing schedule, Lee Kum Kee relies on methods that are quick, accurate and safe to perform. EasyPlus™ titrators from METTLER TOLEDO provide an important boost to speed up internal processes.
Safety and sustainability
Salt determination is equally important, particularly as soy sauce contains approximately 14 g / 100 mL. The company representative continues: “Salt content is determined according to China National Standard GB 5009.44-2016 (Determination of Chloride in Foods). In the past we used a manual procedure, the Volhard method, which requires potassium thiocyanate, as well as titration with potassium chromate; both are highly toxic and environmentally hazardous.
“As we are a socially responsible enterprise, we now use potentiometric titration with METTLER TOLEDO’s Easy Cl (ET28) for salt determination. Safety and environmental protection! The new Lee Kum Kee R&D lab demonstrates our core values: ‘Consider the interests of others’ and ‘Benefit society’.”
With three new EasyPlus titrators, the R&D lab is now able to achieve accurate, reliable product-quality results, which improve safety in the laboratory, more quickly – simultaneously benefiting the environment.
