Determination of Acidity in Foods: Methods and Impact on Food Quality

What are the Methods of Acid Determination in Foods? What are the Effects on Food Quality?

Organic Acids in Food

Natural organic acids found in foods are formed naturally during ripening or by fermentation (fermentation). Inorganic acids are acids made from minerals and non-metallic substances and can be found in trace amounts in foods.

Organic acids in foods are effective in preserving aroma, taste, color, brightness, stability and quality. They can be released by the activity of microorganisms in a controlled and uncontrolled manner. They can be added to food during food processing to give sour taste or to keep it intact. All operations, especially during the production period, are carried out taking into account the acidity of the food. It is not possible to determine the heat treatment conditions without knowing the pH of a food. In addition, the amount of acidity also affects the determination of the storage conditions of the food.

In the production of products such as jam and marmalade, it is necessary to constantly measure the pH level and keep it under control. Likewise, the measurement of pH is very important in acid fermentations such as the ripening of olives or cheese in various sauces, ketchups or vegetable preserves.

Amount of Acidity in Foods

The amount of acidity in foods is also important for the formation of flavor balance and this makes the measurement of acidity mandatory. Especially in fruits, the ripening of fruits is monitored in this way, as the sugar/acid ratio is the most important factor that forms the taste. Apart from affecting the taste, the amount of acidity also affects the ability of microorganisms to grow. Acidity affects the growth and reproduction of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The higher the acidity of a food, the less likely it is to be spoiled by microorganisms.

What are the Effects on Food Quality?

The conformity of foodstuffs to standards is registered by acidity determination. For example, wine, olive oil, butter, pickles, meat and dairy products should not exceed the specified acidity ratios.

There are two concepts related to acidity determination: True (Effective) Acidity, Total Acidity

True (Effective) Acidity: The acidity described by pH. It is measured with a pH meter and is related to the concentration of dissociated hydrogen ions.
Total Acidity: Refers to the total amount of acid, regardless of whether the acid is weak or strong. It is the amount of acidity determined by titration.

Acidity determination is used not only to determine the amount of acid or pH ratio, but also to determine the types of acids. The appearance of certain acids is used as a quality indicator for foods. The formation of certain acids may indicate spoilage or adulteration of food. For example, formic acid in coffee and peanuts due to roasting, galacturonic acid in apples due to mold growth, butyric acid in spoiled butter...

Nano-lab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Acidity Determination in Foods. We also provide services in Regulatory Compliance.

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