Fix the problem on your line, then understand why it happened.
Practical food science for QC labs, production teams and students: tested methods, worked calculations and the science behind them, referenced to official methods and regulations.
- Ketchup Brix is reading off-specMeasure Brix correctly in thick, salty sauces
- Sauce thins out after fillingTroubleshoot viscosity loss step by step
- pH results differ between techniciansCalibrate, prepare samples and measure pH properly
- A customer wants a shelf life you can't proveDesign a shelf-life study that stands up
- Moisture results won't repeatCalculate moisture content and fix method errors
- Mould appears before the best-before dateChoose a preservative that works at your pH
- The auditor wants a HACCP planWrite a HACCP plan using the Codex 12 steps
- Allergen detected in a free-from runControl allergen cross-contact on shared lines
Browse by topic
Step-by-step methods for Brix, pH, moisture, viscosity and shelf-life testing, written for working QC labs.
Hazards, controls and regulations that keep products safe, from allergens to acidified foods.
Thermal processing, preservation and packaging technologies and what they do to quality.
How preservatives, hydrocolloids, colours and sweeteners work, and how to choose them.
The chemistry and microbiology behind product behaviour, explained with factory examples.
Latest guides
- Food Science
Water Activity vs Moisture Content: What's the Difference and Why It Matters
A clear explanation of water activity (aw) and moisture content, the microbial growth limits that depend on aw, typical values for common foods and how aw is measured in the lab.
- Lab & QC Guides
Troubleshooting Viscosity Problems in Sauces and Dressings
Why sauces come out too thin, too thick or weep water, how to measure consistency properly with a rotational viscometer or Bostwick consistometer, and a factory troubleshooting checklist.
- Lab & QC Guides
Shelf-Life Testing for Food Products: How to Design a Study That Holds Up
How to plan real-time and accelerated shelf-life studies, choose end-of-life criteria, build a sampling schedule and use Q10 correctly, with a worked example.
- Food Science
Hurdle Technology Explained with Factory Examples
How combining mild preservation factors such as pH, water activity, heat, preservatives and chilling keeps food stable, with worked product examples and the rules for designing a hurdle system safely.
- HACCP & ISO 22000
How to Write a HACCP Plan: The 12 Steps and 7 Principles with a Worked Example
A step-by-step guide to building a HACCP plan using the Codex 12-step sequence, with a worked example for a hot-filled tomato sauce, a CCP table and the documentation auditors expect.
- Lab & QC Guides
How to Measure pH in Food Products: Calibration, Sample Prep and Common Errors
A practical pH method for food QC labs based on 21 CFR 114.90 and AOAC practice, covering calibration, sample preparation for liquids, solids and oily foods, electrode care and troubleshooting.
- Lab & QC Guides
How to Measure Brix in Tomato Ketchup (and Why Your Reading Isn't Sugar)
A QC-lab method for measuring refractometric Brix in ketchup and thick sauces, with sample preparation, dilution maths, salt effects and the most common sources of error.
- Food Safety
How to Control Allergen Cross-Contact on Shared Production Lines
A practical allergen management programme for factories that run allergen-containing and allergen-free products on the same equipment, covering risk assessment, scheduling, cleaning validation, testing and labelling across US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian rules.