Measuring acidity in foods

Titratable acidity and pH are two interrelated concepts in food analysis that deal
with acidity. Each of these quantities is analytically determined in separate ways and
each provides its own particular insights on food quality. For example, while pH is
important to assess the ability of a microorganism to grow in a specific food,
titratable acidity is a better predictor than pH of how organic acids in the food
impact flavor. Unlike strong acids that are fully dissociated, food acids are only
partially ionized. Some properties of foods are affected only by this ionized fraction
of acid molecules while other properties are affected by the total acid content. This
chapter focuses on the principles and procedures involved in measuring pH and
titratable acidity. pH, which is the negative log (base 10) of the hydrogen ion
concentration, is measured with a pH meter and the millivolt is converted to pH
using the Nernst equation. Titratable acidity, which measures the total acid
concentration in a food, is determined by titration of intrinsic acids with a standard
base. The concept of Brix/acid ratio is covered in this chapter, since the perception
of a tart flavor caused by organic acids is strongly influenced by the presence of
sugars.