Thermo Fisher Scientific Streamlines Nitrogen/Protein Determination in Meat Derivative Products

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today introduced a new application note that outlines unprecedented performance capabilities for determining the protein composition in meat derivative products, The application note, entitled “Nitrogen/Protein determination in meat derivative products using the Thermo Scientific FLASH 4000,” details the analytical conditions and methodology necessary to achieve rapid, safe and reliable protein content determination. It is available to download free-of-charge via the literature library, please follow the article link on the right!

New regulations now stipulate that all processed food and most raw foods must state the protein content on the nutrition label as a quality index for consumers. Producers must now test products to determine nutritional composition, including monitoring protein content by testing for levels of nitrogen. Traditionally, the Kjeldahl method is used to determine protein content, but the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) has added the Dumas combustion technique as a recognized method (method 992.15) for such analyses. The FLASH 4000, which is based on the Dumas combustion method, provides significant advantages over the Kjeldahl method. It requires no sample digestion or toxic chemicals, offering a much safer, more economical and less environmentally damaging solution for protein determination.

Because different meats have unique levels of water and fat content, combustion temperatures and oxygen concentrations vary in the protein determination process. Thermo Scientific Eager Xperience software features Oxytune® to automatically calculate the oxygen amount necessary for sample combustion. It also automatically calculates the protein content in accordance with the food type. In addition to simplifying the analytical operation, these functions allow 24/7 unattended operation, reducing instrument downtime and offering improved streamlined workflow.

The versatile FLASH 4000 extends the comprehensive range of Thermo Scientific solutions for the food industry. Offering efficient monitoring of food supplies in accordance with industry regulations, Thermo Fisher’s approach to routine applications provides organized, time-saving laboratory processing, reducing customer costs and optimizing productivity.

For more information about the new Thermo Scientific FLASH 4000 N/Protein analyzer, please visit the company website.