Instrumental Techniques

pH
pH is a fast measurable parameter to obtain first information about the quality of different types
of raw food or processed food.

If we take milk as an example, the pH of milk is around 6.8, and it is tested both upon collection
and at the end point of delivery. In various processes such as sterilization, the pH is regularly
checked since a lower value helps to speed up the process. However, as an example, the lowered
pH levels can also indicate that the cattle carry leukocyte infections.

Another example is meat. The pH of carcasses constitutes an important initial test to determine
the condition of the animal prior to slaughter, the quality of the breeding and the signs of stress
during slaughter. The typical pH value, ranging from 5.4 to 7.0, can also provide an indication of
whether the fresh meat was properly stored, as the pH varies in different parts of the animal
based on the muscular mass (as an example, loin has a lower pH value).

Too high pH values indicate a loss of aroma and a visibly darker meat resulting in a lower market
value. In addition to raw meat, the ingredients used in the production of ham and sausages are
often refrigerated. By simply checking the pH at the liquefier's intake and drainage points, one
can determine if any ammonia has leaked out.

Some typical examples for pH values in food:

11,8 12,3
10,8

6,7 7 7,3 7,9

5
2,8 3,5
1,2

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 Instrumental Techniques
pH
The concept of pH was first introduced by the Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen at the
Carlsberg Laboratory in 1909, and revised to the modern pH in 1924. The exact meaning of the "p"
in "pH" is disputed. According to the Carlsberg Foundation, pH stands for "power of hydrogen".
Another suggestion is that the "p" stands for the Latin terms pondus hydrogenii (Engl.: quantity of
hydrogen), potentia hydrogenii (Engl.: capacity of hydrogen), or potential hydrogen.

The current use in chemistry is that p stands for "decimal cologarithm of", as also in the term pKa,
which is used for acid dissociation constants. By definition, pH is a measure of the acidity or
alkalinity of a water solution. The acidity or alkalinity of a water solution is determined by the
relative number of hydrogen ions (H+) or hydroxyl ions (OH-) present.

Usually pH is assumed to be the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration:

pH = - log10 [H+]. H+ concentration (mol/L) OH- concentration (mol/L) pH
1 0.00000000000001 0
0.1 0.0000000000001 1
0.01 0.000000000001 2
0.001 0.00000000001 3
0.0001 0.0000000001 4
0.00001 0.000000001 5
0.000001 0.00000001 6
0.0000001 0.0000001 7
0.00000001 0.000001 8
0.000000001 0.00001 9
0.0000000001 0.0001 10
0.00000000001 0.001 11
0.000000000001 0.01 12
0.0000000000001 0.1 13
0.00000000000001 1 14

This way a simple scale of 0 – 14 has been created: the pH scale.

The pH scale is logarithmic, and therefore pH is a dimensionless quantity.

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 Instrumental Techniques
pH
Actually more precisely we are talking about the hydrogen (H+) activity.
A pH measurement determines only the concentration of active hydrogen ions in a solution, and
not the total concentration of hydrogen ions. Only in dilute solutions are all anions and all cations
so far apart that the H+ ion concentration and the H+ ion activity are identical.

This is the reason for the observed pH change in pure water with temperature.
If the temperature rises in pure water, the dissociation of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions increases.
Since pH is related to the concentration of dissociated hydrogen ions alone, the pH value actually
decreases although the water is still neutral.

According to the Nernst equation:

E is a measured potential,
E0 is the standard electrode potential,
R is the gas constant,
T is the temperature in kelvin,
F is the Faraday constant.

For H+ the number of electrons transferred is equal to one.

This means that the electrode potential is proportional to pH when pH is defined in terms of
activity and the pH of a given sample is changing with the temperature of the sample.

pH is usually determined by indicator strips or measured with instruments, using a pH sensitive

glass electrode, a reference electrode, and a temperature sensor.
They can be built in one, as a combined glass electrode.

The pH electrode uses a specially formulated, pH sensitive glass in contact with the solution,
which develops a potential (i.e. voltage) proportional to the pH of the solution.
The reference electrode is designed to maintain a constant potential at any given temperature.

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 Instrumental Techniques
pH
In the measurement process, the calibration of the electrode is very important: the potential is
proportional to the pH, but to know the absolute value we have to use calibration solutions, in an
optimal case in the range or close to the pH-range of our sample.

Most instruments offer an automated calibration curve calculation, based on a 2 or a 3 point pH

buffer calibration.

pH seems to be easy to measure, but there are several potential error factors:

- Quality of the calibration buffer

- Any problem with the calibration process
- Correct re-calibration time
- Errors coming from the function of the electrode at high or low pH (alkaline error, acid error)
- Correctness of the temperature compensation
- Aging of the electrode

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