CO2 Testing of Flour

Hi All I am very new to the Food safety business, we mill flour and package to both Suppliers and customers.

Recently we have had a few complaints about the CO2 levels in our SR flour. Our suppliers want us to use a chittick apparatus or indicator testing to check the CO2 levels. We have the Chittick apparatus, but no one knows how to use it ( the manual is missing). I have searched the web and cannot find a basic manual or an basic answer to indicator testing. HELP please

Hi All I am very new to the Food safety business, we mill flour and package to both Suppliers and customers.

Recently we have had a few complaints about the CO2 levels in our SR flour. Our suppliers want us to use a chittick apparatus or indicator testing to check the CO2 levels. We have the Chittick apparatus, but no one knows how to use it ( the manual is missing). I have searched the web and cannot find a basic manual or an basic answer to indicator testing. HELP please

 Dear Kathryn Solomons.

CO2  being a gas, I'm surprised it's got any at all ? :smile:

Re - chittick -

http://www.accessdat....cfm?fr=137.180

Rgds / Charles.C

PS - the AOAC manual referred is available in almost all technical libraries. The basic method looks theoretically simple (flour + acid > CO2) but practically less so, as usual.

PPS - the first step for manuals is often to check the supplier, assuming the brand/model is not on the web..

 

 

CO2  being a gas, I'm surprised it's got any at all ? :smile:

 

 

I guess we are talking about the effectiveness of the bicarb(or baking powder or whatever) in the self raising flour in releasing CO₂  ?

I don't have a food related Chittick method for this -but here is a similar one to that I used to use for soil- which might help in figuring out your method?!

I wouldn't have any idea of what quantity would need to be released for optimum performance though!!!

Mike

Thanks Guys, 

I have really struggled with this one.

The CO2 level we have to achieve is 0.65%, it is from the Aerobake ( cream of tartar/bicarb).

Apparently we bought it from a glass blower company, so am going to try to get hold of them for any extra info.