Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #337093
Research Project: Ecological Reservoirs and Intervention Strategies to Reduce Foodborne Pathogens in Cattle and Swine

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Design of an electrochemical prototype to determine relative NaCl content and its application in fresh cheeses

Author
item CAZARES-GALLEGOS, RUBEN - UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE NUEVO LEON
item VIDALES-CONTRERAS, JUAN - UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE NUEVO LEON
item LUNA-MALDONADO, ALEJANDRO - UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE NUEVO LEON
item HUME, MICHAEL
item SILVA-VAZQUEZ, RAMON - TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF PARRAL
item QUINTERO-RAMOS, ARMANDO - UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE CHIHUAHUA
item MENDEZ-ZAMORA, GERARDO - UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE NUEVO LEON

Submitted to: La Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Pecuarias
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2018
Publication Date: 1/1/2019
Citation: Cazares-Gallegos, R., Vidales-Contreras, J.A., Luna-Maldonado, A.I., Hume, M.E., Silva-Vazquez, R., Quintero-Ramos, A., Mendez-Zamora, G. 2019. Design of an electrochemical prototype to determine relative NaCl content and its application in fresh cheeses. La Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Pecuarias. 10(1):161-171. https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v10i1.4540.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v10i1.4540

Interpretive Summary: An electrochemical prototype (ECP) was designed and validated to determine salt electrical variables and its application for detection of possible adulteration in fresh cheeses. Seven salt solutions were examined at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 grams of salt/100 milliliters of water. Cheeses evaluated were a commercial cheese (control) and a commercial light cheese. The presence of salt treatment influenced the electrical variables in the salt solutions and cheeses. The ECP was determined to be of suitable design and reliability to determine potential salt adulteration of cheeses. The ECP design and application are of interest to cheese producers and distributers seeking to ensure cheese production quality.

Technical Abstract: An electrochemical prototype (ECP) was designed and validated to determine NaCl electrical variables [volt (V), ampere (A), resistance (R), and power (P)] and its application for detection of possible adulteration in fresh cheeses. The ECP circuit consisted of two electrodes, aluminum (anode) and copper (cathode). The experimental parameters established in the ECP were the distance between electrodes and the presence of a resistor. Seven treatment solutions were examined at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 g of NaCl/100 mL of water. Cheeses evaluated were a commercial cheese (control) and a commercial light cheese. Treatment influenced (p < 0.05) the electrical variables in NaCl solutions and cheeses. Regression analysis showed that the best fit was a quadratic model for the ECP. Prototype results showed that at higher NaCl concentrations, voltage and resistance decreased, while amperage and power increased.