Common issues with such systems include mineral and algae buildup, deterioration of cool-cell pads from continual cleaning, and increased utility costs due to inefficient airflow, according to Eric Spell, business development director for FarmLab Innovations. “The high pH level of groundwater, combined with dust and high mineral concentrations, compound algae and mineral buildup on cool-cell pads and within evaporative cooling systems,” Spell relates. SWASHCOOL-CELL is added to the water in the sump to regulate and control water quality at the source.”
Specifically, Spell says, the product’s three-step solution to mineral buildup includes buffers to balance the pH level of the water, chelating agents to keep minerals soluble, and dispersants that cause dust and dirt to disperse in the water rather than build up on the cooling pad.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Within 15 to 20 minutes of adding SWASHCOOL-CELL to the water source, pH neutralization begins, sequestering non-soluble minerals and dispersing them to inhibit buildup, Spell notes.
“The natural cooling effect of evaporation is important for maintaining proper temperatures for poultry (and livestock) facilities, particularly during months when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit,” Spell explains. “Thus, SWASHCOOL-CELL contributes to creature comfort, an animal welfare issue of importance to consumers.”
“SWASHCOOL-CELL helps to reduce energy bills, improve airflow efficiency, increase the lifespan of cooling pads, and optimize bird (and swine) health and safety during the hottest months of the year,” Spell emphasizes.
Food Quality Diagnostic Tool
Delivering results in 30 seconds, PerkinElmer’s DA 6200 NIR analyzer helps meat processors conduct quality and process control testing and analysis.
Image credit: PerkinElmer
On May 6, 2019, PerkinElmer, Inc., Waltham, Mass., a purveyor of diagnostic technology, launched a new food testing tool, the DA 6200 NIR analyzer.
Part of the company’s Perten portfolio of analytical instruments, the DA 6200 is based on next generation diode array near-infrared transmission spectroscopy (NIR) technology, according to Per Lidén, PerkinElmer’s product manager for benchtop DA instruments.
“The DA 6200 is particularly geared for meat, including poultry,” Lidén says. “In 30 seconds, it provides accurate test results of fat, moisture, and protein levels in a sample, as well as collagen, salt, and ash content. In particular, the collagen content reveals the presence of connective tissue, and the ash content demonstrates if there is bone ground into the product. This accuracy and speed translate to quality and process control as readily in very large, inhomogeneous samples as they do in small samples.”
Its compact size and battery power option make the DA 6200 analyzer fully portable, affording flexibility in the production environment. The instrument sports an intuitive touchpad screen, which is designed to help users generate clear, easy-to-read results.
The analyzer is equipped with global meat product calibrations designed to work across a range of product types, reducing the need for onsite calibration development, Lidén says.
With bones removed first, chicken or turkey samples need to be homogenized (typically using a benchtop mixer) before they can be measured with the DA 6200, he notes.
“If it is mechanically separated poultry already mixed in process, the grab samples from production can typically be analyzed without extra homogenization,” Lidén elaborates. “The DA 6200 can also analyze final products, such as a chicken sausage, burgers, or entrees.”
“We believe that the DA 6200 analyzer enhances the ability of producers of sausage, ground meat, or other poultry products to get the highest yield from the incoming unprocessed meat,” Lidén relates. “It also helps to verify compliance with regulatory and brand standards for quality of the final product.”
Peracetic Acid
The use of peracetic acid (PAA) as an antimicrobial sanitizer is expanding in poultry processing, according to Joe-Ben Mattos, director for Biosan LLC, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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