UNIT OPERATION IN FOOD PROCESSING

PREPARATION OF RAW
MATERIALS BEFORE PROCESSING
PART A
(CLEANING PROCESS)
Prepared by: Pn Rosliza Bt. Mohd Radzali
Objectives
Explain the steps of preparation of raw materials before
processing.

Define cleaning and explain the purposes of cleaning.

Identify the types of contaminants in raw materials.

Explain and differentiates of wet and dry cleaning
methods.

Explain and identify the related equipment with respect
to wet and dry cleaning methods.
Pre-test
State whether these statement are True or False

1. The present of contaminant such as fungal and yeast can reduce
the quality of food product.

2. Filtration and brushing are types of wet cleaning method.

3. Soaking is a wet cleaning method.

4. Aspiration is a dry cleaning method.

5. Wet cleaning have low cost production because it produce low
effluent.

6. Spray drum washer is an equipment that used in wet cleaning
method.






Fill in the blank this statement with the right answer

1. __________ use detergent and water to remove soil and
dust from foods.
2. __________ use principles of different buoyancy to
remove debris from the foods.
3. __________ is one of contaminant type of chemical
elements.
4. __________ can detect metal particles.

Wet cleaning
aspiration
pesticides
Magnetic
cleaning
Pre-test
Cleaning
Cleaning Of Raw Material
-Cleaning is the unit operation in which contaminant
materials are removed from the food and separated to
leave surface of the food in a suitable condition for
further processing.

Purpose Of Cleaning
- to take out the contaminant which is can harmful the
human health.
- Control chemical and biochemical reaction of the
microbial content can reduce the quality of food
product.

Types Of Contaminant In Raw Material
Elements Examples
Metals Ferrous and non ferrous metals, bolts, filings
Minerals Soil, stone, grease, metal particles and engine
oil
Plants Leaves, weed seed,pods and skin,
Animals Hair, bone,blood, egg, insect, larvae and part of
animal body
Chemical Fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
Microbial products Colours, flavours, toxin
Microbial cells fungal growth, yeasts
Method of Cleaning
Removing soil from root or
dust and pesticide residues
from soft fruits or vegetables
Use clean warm water /
different combination of
detergent or sterilants
Will produces large volume of
effluent/ high dissolved and
suspended solid in water
WET
CLEANING
For smaller product, greater
mechanical strength and
process a lower moisture
content
Use air, magnetism or other
physical method
Will cause of dust, create bad
health and recontaminates the
product
DRY
CLEANING
WET CLEANING METHOD



WET CLEANING METHOD
(SOAKING)
Soaking
- It is the simplest cleaning method.

- As a preliminary stage in the cleaning of root
vegetables other foods which are heavily contaminated.

- Adhering soil is softened and some is removed,
together with stone, sands and other abrasive
materials which would damage the machinery used in
the later stages of cleaning.

- Soak tanks are made of metal, smooth concrete or
other materials of construction suitable for regular
cleaning and disinfection.



Absorbent materials such as wood should not be used.

The efficiency of soaking is improved:

i) by moving the water relative to the product by
means of caged propeller-stirrer built into the tank

ii) by moving the product relative to the water
either by means of slow moving paddles or by
feeding the raw material into a horizontal
perforated drum which rotates whilst partially
submerged in the soak tank. Can cause damage to
delicate food.
Soaking
Agitation may also be produced by sparging
compressed air through tank for delicate material,
eg; strawbery and asparagus, spinach or celery which
traps dirt internally

Warm water improves the efficiency but the rate of
spoilage of foods may be increased.

Care is necessary, however, in the selection and use of
such agent, since the appearance and texture of the
food may be affected.
eg; softening affects of sodium hexametaphospate on
peas and toughening agent of some metal ions on peas
and peaches destined for canning.
Soaking
Frequently, soak tanks are supplied with lightly
contaminated water from subsequent washing stages.

In this way, water economies are effected and effluent
volume are reduced.

With such counter-current re-use of water it become
important to exercise careful microbiological control
and for regular changing of soak water to becarried
out.

Usually, chlorination method is used to decrease
bacterial loading in soak tank water but it high COD
rapidly remove active chlorine so that high
concentration of this is necessary.
Soaking



WET CLEANING METHOD
(SPRAY WASHING)
Spray Drum Washer
The spray drum washer consists of a reel constructed
of metal slats or rods, spaced so as to retain the food
whilst allowing debris to be washing through.

The drum, rotates slowly and inclined to the
horizontal.

The speed of rotation and angle of inclination control
both movement of the food within the drum and the
duration of the washing cycle.

The washer is equipped with a central spray rod which
is fitted with jets or slots through which water is
sprayed, however may cause damage to some foods.
Spray Drum Washer
Spray Belt Washers
This type of spray washer is simply a
conveyor which carries the food beneath
banks of water sprays.

With roughly spherical foods such as
apples, contact is improved by using
roller conveyors which cause the fruit to
spin beneath the spray
Spray Belt Washers



WET CLEANING METHOD
(FLOATATION WASHING)
Floatation Washing
This method depends on the difference in buoyancy
between the desired and undesired parts of the food to
be cleaned.

Thus bruised or rotten apples, which sink in water, may
be removed by fluming the fruit into a tank and
collecting the overflow of sound fruit.

The floatation washer effectively removes stones, dirt
and plant debris from peas, beans, dried fruits and
similar materials at rates of 3 tones/h.

Water flow rates in the range of 200-500 l/min are
necessary. Water recirculation is necessary.
Froth Floatation
Depends on the differential wetting of the food and its
contaminants, is an elaboration of flotation procedure.

This method is freeing peas from weed seeds which are
not effectively remove by normal flotation methods.

Contaminated peas immersed in a dilute, mineral oil
detergent emulsion through which air is blown.

The contaminants float on foam and removed.

The peas goes to final wash to remove emulsion
contaminant.
Floatation Washing



WET CLEANING METHOD
(ULTRA-SONIC CLEANING)
Ultra-sonic cleaning
Sound waves of frequencies above 16 kHz are used.
Insonation of a fluid with ultrasonic waves of
frequencies in the range of 20-100 kHz produces a
rapidly alternating pressure in the path of the waves
and this leads to the rapid formation and collapes of
bubbles in the fluid.
These effect, called the cavitation and decavitation,
result in the release of energy causing a violent
agitation of particles immersed in fluid.
This phenomenon is utilized to effect the loosening of
adherent dirt.
E.g: grit on vegetables, grease and wax on fruits and
dirt on eggs. The contaminants after loosening are
removed by other cleaning methods.





WET CLEANING METHOD
(DEWATERING)
Dewatering
Wet cleaning results in a cleaned product that may
have some excess water adhering to it.

Dewatering may effected by passing the food over
vibratory screens or specially designed rotary screen.

In the case of cleaned peas for freezing, or washed
wheat for milling, centrifuges may be used.

Occasionally it may be necessary to resort to drying
procedures, as in the case of cereals or fruits, which are
to be stored or sold as fresh.

DRY CLEANING METHOD
Dry Cleaning Method
Method Aspiration cleaning, Magnetic cleaning , Filtration
cleaning, Abrasion cleaning, Electrostatic cleaning,
Brushing, Radio isotope separator and X-Ray
separator
The method
chosen depend
on:
1. Raw material properties.
2. contaminant elements to be removed.
3. conditions required for surface cleaning.
Advantages

1. Low cost
2. Easy to handle
3. Cleaning surface in dry condition
Disadvantages

1. contaminants likely to occur again
2. High dust content (control of dust is important,
install special control system to detect any
explosion.




DRY CLEANING METHOD
(SCREENING)
Screening
Screen are primarily size separators
or sorting machines but may used as
cleaning equipment for removing
contaminant of different size from
that of the raw materials.
Rotary Drum Screen
Description Usually known as trommel, reels and and centrifuge
screen.
it is a continuous unit that is widely used in food industry.

Function To remove weed-seeds, grit and small stones from cereals.
Cleaning of flour, salt or sugar from which strings and bag-
hairs.

Principle Filter arranged so that the clean material separated on the
basis of the size either oversize or undersize.

Eg; removal of small stone and sand from wheat.
Advantages 1. Have high capacity
2. Maintain and operate
Disadvantages 1. Difficult to clean unless design properly.
2. contaminant occurred again except with careful design.
3. Expensive to install
Flat Bed Screen
Description Consist of one or more flat screen decks fixed together in a
dust-proof casing, the assembly being shaken by a variety
of devices.

Advantages Suitable for cleaning delicate items such as flour and
ground spices powder.
Disadvantages Must be frequently cleaned to remove oversize
contaminant which may pulverized due to abrasion and
spread contamination of the raw material.





DRY CLEANING METHOD
(Abrasion Cleaning)
Abrasion Cleaning
Abrasion between food particles or between
food and moving part of cleaning machinery is
used to loosen and remove adhering materials.

Trommels, tumblers, vibrators and abrasive
discs and rotating brushes are used for this
purposes.

Dust removal to prevent recontamination and
explosion is essential in this type of cleaning.




DRY CLEANING METHOD
(ASPIRATION CLEANING)
Aspiration Cleaning
Aspiration finds wide application in removing debris differing in
buoyancy from the desired material.

In principle, the material to be cleaned is fed into a stream of air
at controlled velocity when separation into two or more stream
(eg:light, middle and heavy ) is affected.

This is suitable for two or three stream separation of cereals, nuts
and similar foods.

Use to clean onions, melons, eggs and other foods which are not
amenable to wet. The soil is loosened by abrasion, using brushing
or contacting with rotating rubber fingers and the debris is then
removed, selectively by air stream.

Aspiration Cleaning
Capable of very precise adjustment.

Can be used to remove particles from flour and even to
discriminate the protein and starch fragments in the
production of protein enriched flour.

Used large quantities of low pressure air and ,hence
consume much energy.

Careful dust control is necessary for safety and health
reason to prevent the spread of contaminants.
Aspiration Cleaning
The sortex air separator
A
The sortex air separator
B
Aspiration Cleaning
Aspiration Cleaning



DRY CLEANING METHOD
(MAGNETIC CLEANING)
Magnetic Cleaning
Cascade the contaminated product stream over one or
more magnets which are usually located in the
conveyor trunking.

Magnetic separators may also take the form of rotating
or stationary magnetic drums, magnetized belts,
magnets located over belts carrying the food or
staggered magnetized grids through which the food
passed.

Both permanent magnets and electromagnets are used.

It is more suitable for foodstuff cleaning, the adhering
metallic particles being removes easily by switching off
the current.


Electromagnets are more expensive than
permanent magnets and subject to power
failure.

It may be followed by an electronic metal-
detector which monitors the products for both
ferrous and non-ferrous particles.

Electronic detectors can also detect certain
other inclusion such as clinker, some stones,
carbonized grease and metal impregnated
grease.



DRY CLEANING METHOD
(Miscellaneous Dry-
Cleaning Principles)
Electrostatic Cleaning
The differences of electrostatic charging which is
material under controlled humidity condition, charge
particles being removed by oppositely-charged or
earthed rollers, grids.

This procedure is used in dust extraction and in other
processes such as the cleaning of tea.

In the application: tea-fanning are cleaned of dust and
stalks by flowing the material over a roller charged to a
potential of 5-20 kV and rotating at 70-350 rev/min.
The tea adjusted to moisture content of 3 4% and
the separated matter is removed from the roller,
continuously by rotating brushes.



Radio-isotopes
Use low energy gamma radiation to separate of clods of
earth and stones.

The differences are sensed by a Geiger-Muller detector,
the signals from this being used to actuate a
mechanism which rejects the rubbish.

The prototype machine is reported to remove 90% of
the contaminants.



X-Ray Separation
X-Ray separation of stones, glass and metal fragments in food
such as confectionary is well established.

The food is conveyed through an X-Ray scanner and the image is
viewed on a fluorescent screen by an operator who stop the
conveyor when an inclusion is seen.

Mechanization of this process has proved difficult but a machine
capable of detecting inclusions in pickles has been reported.

In this machine, a difference in contrast between the optical and
X-ray images of jars of pickles is used to generate an electrical
signal which triggers an injection device.


Thank you