Download (.pdf) Intermediate product selection and blending in the food processing industry
Kilic, O.A, Akkerman, R., van Donk, D.P., Grunow, M. (2011), Intermediate product selection and blending in the food processing industry, International Journal of Production Research, accepted for publication.
This study addresses a capacitated intermediate product selection and blending problem typical for two-stage... more This study addresses a capacitated intermediate product selection and blending problem typical for two-stage production systems in the food processing industry. The problem involves the selection of a set of intermediates and end product recipes characterizing how those selected intermediates are blended into end products to minimise the total operational costs under production and storage capacity limitations. A comprehensive mixed integer linear model is developed for the problem. The model is applied on a data set collected from a real-life case. The trade-off s between capacity limitations and operational costs are analysed, and the eff ects of di erent types of cost parameters and capacity limitations on the selection of intermediates and end product recipes are investigated.
Supply chain planning for super chilled food products
Wang, Y., Akkerman, R., Grunow, M. (2011), Supply chain planning for super chilled food products, Working paper, Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1923948.
This paper studies a production and distribution system for food products, which are super chilled during production... more This paper studies a production and distribution system for food products, which are super chilled during production and then distributed in the conventional cold chain. Super chilling implies a partial freezing, which stabilizes the product temperature below 0°C during the subsequent partial thawing during the distribution. In this paper we identify the important planning decisions in relation to production and distribution. Then, a decision support model based on mixed-integer linear programming is developed for these planning tasks, which are especially focusing on packaging options and delivery intervals. An integral part of the approach is a model of the thermodynamic behavior of the food products that is used to describe the thawing process. An illustrative case study shows how the resulting models can be used to support supply chain planning for super chilled food products and how the detailed modeling of product changes allows for a significant decrease in distribution efforts even with the use of conservative shelf life estimates.
Drying characteristics and sorption isotherm of tomato slices
Co-authored with Charles Taiwo Akanbi and Ademola Ojo
The drying behaviour of tomato slices was investigated at 45, 60 and 75 °C. Three falling rate periods were observed... more The drying behaviour of tomato slices was investigated at 45, 60 and 75 °C. Three falling rate periods were observed with diffusion coefficients in the range 3.72–12.27 × 10−9 m2 s−1. The water vapour sorption isotherm of dehydrated tomato slices in the water activity (aw) range of 0.08–0.85 was also determined at three temperature levels, i.e., 25, 30 and 40 °C. Five sorption models were fitted with the adsorption data generated from the gravimetric method. GAB and Oswin models describe the adsorption characteristics of dehydrated tomato at 25 °C better than other models with GAB model being the best applicable model. The isosteric heat of adsorption decreases with increasing moisture.
Making Italian Espresso, Making Espresso Italian
Food & History, vol. 8, n° 2 (2010), pp. 155-184 doi: 10.1484/J.FOOD.1.102222
Espresso coffee has become synonymous with Italy, as have
those beverages which employ this as a base such as... more
Espresso coffee has become synonymous with Italy, as have
those beverages which employ this as a base such as cappuccino and caffè latte. This article examines the processes by which espresso became “Itallan” over the course of the twentieth century by investigating the way that the taste of Italian coffee has evolved, along with the taste for coffee amongst the Italians. In addition it discusses the ways in which the serving styles of these beverages have been adjusted to make them more palatable to coffee-drinking cultures outside Italy. By focussing on the sensory qualities of the coffee itself, it aims to produce a material history of espresso that can be read alongside that of the socio-cultural conditions that have occasioned its success.
X-ray computed tomography image analysis to explain the airflow resistance differences in grain bulks.
Biosystems Engineering
X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a technique that uses X-ray images to reconstruct the internal microstructure of... more X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a technique that uses X-ray images to reconstruct the internal microstructure of objects. A high-resolution X-ray CT system with a resolution of 120 μm was used to scan slices of grain bulks. Grain bulks of wheat, barley, flax seed, peas and mustard were scanned along horizontal and vertical directions. The X-ray CT images were analysed to explain the airflow resistance difference along the horizontal and vertical directions of grain bulks. Total airspace, airpath distribution and size of airpaths were determined from the images. Morphological information of the airpaths from the tomographic images showed that the size and number of airpaths vary between horizontal and vertical directions of many grain bulks. Airpath area and airpath lengths along the horizontal direction were 100% higher than in the vertical direction for wheat, barley and flax seed bulks, where as for pea and mustard bulks, they were only 30% higher in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. The numbers of airpaths along the horizontal direction for wheat, barley and flax seed, respectively, were 92%, 145% and 187% more than along the vertical direction. In pea and mustard bulks, however the increase in the number of airpaths was only 28% and 17%. The ratio of total airspace area to the total number of airpaths in the grain bulk is the best predictor for the difference in the airflow resistance in horizontal and vertical directions in the grain bulk.
Convergence – Big Potential: Microfluidics for Food, Agriculture and Biosystems
Microfluidics, a rapidly emerging enabling technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture, food, and... more Microfluidics, a rapidly emerging enabling technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture, food, and biosystems industries. The principles of eletrokinetics, electro-hydrodynamics, and thermo-capillarity with the dimensional parameters such as nanoliters, micrometers and milliseconds of the microfluidic technology help to solve scientific problems that conventional technologies cannot. Microfluidic devices allow real-time temporal and spatial sensing in food safety. Nano particle encapsulation of fish oil by spray drying through efficient emulsification; detection of the presence of residues, trace chemicals, antibiotics, pathogens and toxins in the food and water supply monitoring; in micro and nano-filtration to improve food quality; analysis of antibiotics in dairy food products by chip based diagnostic system are few examples of potential applications of microfluidics in food industry. Microfluidics also has the potential to generate novel food structures by changing the way the food processing will be done through emulsions and foams, fluid mixings and dispersions. Monitoring nutrients and sorting plant cells to increase crop quality and production; effective delivery of biopesticides by agricultural spray equipments are emerging applications of microfluidics in agriculture. Applications of microfluidics in the animal science sector includes simplifying traditional in vitro fertilisation procedures in animal breeding, animal health monitoring, therapeutic intervention, and nucleic acid delivery systems using DNA molecules for animal vaccines and animal control agents. Analysis and chemical manipulation of small samples, capture of foreign particles, and delivery of drugs to specific locations are interesting applications of microfluidics in bioprocessing industries. The objective of this review is to synthesize information on microfluidic systems and devices that features integrated operations with simple reliable components with applications in agriculture, food and bioprocessing industries. Progress on the recent development, current trends and future perspectives of microfluidics, different microfluidic types, designs and techniques are being addressed.
Classification of vitreousness in durum wheat using soft X-rays and transmitted light images
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Hardness is a kernel characteristic that influences both milling and processing characteristics of wheat. It is one... more Hardness is a kernel characteristic that influences both milling and processing characteristics of wheat. It is one characteristic that is used for segregating wheat to meet the needs for various products. Kernel virteousness is a visual marker for hardness and is the characteristic assessed during the grading process. The potential of classifying vitreous and non-vitreous durum wheat kernels, in crease-down position, using imaging systems based on real time soft X-rays or transmitted light was assessed in this study. Durum wheat kernels at 14, 15 and 16% moisture contents were used as samples in this study. Image features modeling gray level distribution, textural and shape moments were measured and used to develop a classification system for vitreous and non-vitreous durum wheat kernels. The classification accuracies were 76% for vitreous kernels and 82% for non-vitreous kernels at 16% moisture content using the soft X-ray system but for the transmitted light system, the classification accuracies were 86% for vitreous and 93% for non-vitreous kernels. Moisture content had no effect on classifying vitreous or non-vitreous kernels by the transmitted light system but the classification accuracies increased with moisture content for non-vitreous kernels by the soft X-ray system.
Ultrastructural Analysis of Buckwheat Starch Components Using Atomic Force Microscopy
Morphological and structural features of buckwheat starch granules and nanocrystals were examined using atomic force... more
Morphological and structural features of buckwheat starch granules and nanocrystals were examined using atomic force microscopy. Partially digested starch granules revealed a clear pattern of growth rings with the central core showing lamellar structure. Atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering experiments revealed that the buckwheat starch granules were round or polygonal in shape and were in the range of 3 to 12 µm in diameter. Aqueous suspensions of starch using acid hydrolysis produced starch nanocrystals. The starch nanocrystals were in the shape of rods with lengths ranging from 120 to 200 nm, and diameters ranging from 2 to 6 nm respectively. New understanding of buckwheat starch components morphology and the granule concentric growth rings has been achieved through our study. Biocompatibility nature of buckwheat starch nanocrystals and their structural properties makes them a promising green nanocomposite material.
Keywords: AFM, buckwheat, Starch granules, Starch nanocrystals