Pioneering effort improves sugar quality
EVEN AS the sugar industry is going through a crisis, there is some good news on the quality front. The Kisan Veer Satara Cooperative Sugar Factory, Bhuinj, in Maharashtra's Satara district, initiated an experiment two months ago to improve sugar quality, using a technology developed by Mr. V. M. Kulkarni, founder-director of V M Biotech.
Saving in bagasse
The results show that apart from better sugar, there was a saving in bagasse and improvements in steam consumption, crushing and production of bold grain sugar.
No additions or changes in machinery are needed for these experiments, which are based on the concept of using proper chemicals in the right doses at the right stages.
Essentially, the experiments worked on balancing chemistry and this improved the overall efficiency of the factory, said Mr. Kulkarni, a Pune-based microbiologist.
The quality of sugar has always been a matter of concern. The sugar industry relies heavy on the sulphitation process and fears that sugar cannot be produced without that.
However, in these experiments, syrup sulphitation was stopped totally and till now over 100,000 bags of sugar are produced using only a single sulphitation process.
Mr. Kulkarni pointed out that using sulphur dioxide to whiten the sugar was a cosmetic process and it could be easily done away with.
The chemical was also injurious to human health. Two patented biocides, Polmax Supreme and Polmax ESR were used for cane sanitation and mill sanitation respectively. Two new formulations, viscosity reducer and Sucrocolor, in the process of being patented, were used to improve crystallisation and remove impurities including colour in the sugar. The end product is a synergistic effect of all four formulations, Mr. Kulkarni explained.
His method aims at manufacturing good quality sugar on par with international standards. The sugar was sent for analysis to Maarc Labs, Pune and its report showed that this sugar is of very good quality.
Below detectable levels
Sulphur dioxide content and dextran are below detectable levels with a microbial count of 120 colony forming units (cfu) per ten grams. Conductivity is only 0.014 per cent with significantly lower moisture and calcium levels.
There is a significant reduction in the impurities apart from improved sucrose content.
This quality of sugar would reduce the usual difficulties in the food and pharmaceutical industries.The efficacy of the new process has been demonstrated by the experiments at the Kisan Veer Satara factory, supported by its chairperson Mr Madan Bhosale. It is now being replicated in some other factories in Maharashtra.
Micro-organisms cause considerable loss of sugar at various stages of the manufacturing process. Mr. Kulkarni who has developed a methodology to quantify the loss at each stage, says once the stage and the extent of the loss are known, the next step is to reduce microbial sugar losses.
After extensive research, he developed Polmax ESR and Polmax Supreme, the two patented biocides that rapidly minimise harmful microbes. These two products are being used by the sugar industry and VM Biotech supplies them to more than 50 factories.
MEENA MENON
in Mumbai
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