Fast and accurate verification of carbonated beverage shelf-life is now possible via a first-of-its-kind unit from MOCON, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOCO).
The company is launching its low-cost PERMATRAN-C Model 10, which measures the carbon-dioxide transmission rate of individual plastic carbonated beverage bottles. The non-destructive test takes as little as three hours to produce statistically accurate results.
No other similar unit exists in the marketplace. Currently, bottlers and bottle manufacturers rely on a variety of lengthy calculation methods to determine shelf-life. The PERMATRAN-C Model 10 will graphically display projected shelf life, based on a user-specified loss limit, in a matter of hours. (The loss limit is the amount of carbon dioxide the carbonated beverage can lose before it is considered bad.)
The PERMATRAN-C Model 10 can be used with plastic bottles ranging from 250ml to 2.5 liters. The internal battery (no power cord) allows the Model 10 to be placed in an environmental chamber for temperature profiling. Further, the unit’s portability enables it to be used in areas away from the lab.
Simple operation provided by QuickStartSM allows the operator to begin a test with the push of a button making this an ideal production quality control system. Upon completion of each test, the data can be downloaded onto a PC or a printer.
Ideal users of the PERMATRAN-C Model 10 are carbonated soft-drink manufacturers, beer manufacturers and their bottle suppliers.