The Northumberland Cheese Company has found that better measurement enables consistent quality and more efficient monitoring of food production processes.

The company makes richly-flavoured cheeses in a converted granary outside Newcastle. When it considered a move into un-pasteurised cheeses, it discovered the importance of accurate pH measurements to ensure effective control of bacterial activity while the cheese matures.

The existing manual measurement of lactic acid by a chemical titration process was regarded as subjective and prone to human error, so On-Machine Measurement, on behalf of the National Measurement System, arranged a free trial of a pH meter and probe.

The new measurement equipment, which was matched to the cheese maker’s specific requirements, immediately demonstrated its value.

“We can now understand better the conditions in which our cheeses were created,” says owner Mark Robertson.

“This reduces uncertainty as we are able to more accurately measure one of the most important variables and thus achieve greater consistency every time.”

Impressed with the accuracy, repeatability and ease of use of the probe and meter, the Northumberland Cheese Company has bought its own pH measurement equipment from Metrohm UK.

It believes this more reliable measurement system will enable it to explore confidently the un-pasteurised cheese market, with potential sales estimated at £25k per annum.

Quick facts
pH measurement is an essential part of monitoring and controlling bacterial growth during the cheese-making process.

A pH meter and appropriate probe are more accurate and reliable than manual measurement methods.

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