Page 10 - 4_TOC special applications
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Sum parameters – Total Organic Carbon
TOC-determination in water for the production
of beverages
No. SCA-130-404
Water is the most popular non-alcoholic beverage Soft drinks such as fruit juice, soda and other
in the world. However, there are considerable water-based mixed drinks, are also popular thirst
differences in the different types of water, their quenchers that are subject to strict quality
origin and especially their quality. standards. Here again, natural water or drinking
water are used as feedstock for the production.
The quality of these waters can have significant
impact on the quality of the final product.
The parameter TOC can serve as an indicator for
the content of organic matter present in water from
natural sources, such as well or mineral water. In
the following example, 4 different types of water
used in the production of beverages were analysed
using a Shimadzu TOC-L Series total organic
carbon analyser.
Bottled water may be called natural mineral water
in the EU, if it originates from underground
deposits which are protected from contamination
and if it is bottled directly at the well. It may be
enriched with CO , but possible water treatment
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steps are severely limited according to the
applicable regulations, while the purity of the
water, its content of minerals and trace elements
as well as other ingredients are subject to
labelling. Natural mineral water may only be
marketed if it is officially certified. ▪ Analytical method
Table water is a type of water that does not meet The samples were analysed using the NPOC
the requirements of natural mineral water. Using method, thus removing the inorganic carbon
food additives, it may be enriched with minerals, content TIC (carbonates, hydrogen carbonates and
trace substances and CO . Natural mineral water dissolved CO ) before the actual analysis.
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as well as drinking water from the public supply Acidification and sparging of the sample is handled
network can be used to produce bottled water, the fully automatically by the ISP module (integrated
latter being the more common method depending sample preparation) of the TOC-L. In addition to
on the location of the production site. the automatic sample preparation, this system
allows the automatic dilution of samples and
calibration standards as well. This reduces the
workload for the laboratory personnel.
