“Not only a fully equipped laboratory, but also deploying fully automated instruments, which are capable of performing instant measurement operations, to the production lines, is of great importance.”
Mehmet Şerif Gültay - Şevsan Flour Co.
Prerequisites of sustainable quality control in the milling are a fully equipped laboratory, and intuitive, visionary engineers, technicians and operators, who can operate this laboratory and manage the process properly. A series of analyses must be conducted for a standard production without making compromises to quality criteria. These analyses can be categorized under two groups:
a - Raw material analyses
b - Product analyses
Let’s examine these two titles in more details:
A – RAW MATERIAL ANALYSES:
In quality criteria, continuity and sustainability starts with raw material purchase. In raw material purchase, standard and stable production performance can be achieved by showing utmost care under optimum conditions and without fluctuation in wheat stocks. Physical, physicochemical and rheological analyses must be conducted in order to ensure stabilization. Unexpected changes may take place in our raw material depending on the type of the wheat planted, soil structure, letting the soil rest with fallow, type of the previously planted and harvested product, irrigation, use of chemical fertilizers and climate conditions. Considering all these factors, we must stock the wheat, in accordance with the intended use following a comprehensible analysis on a sample basis before it is delivered to the plant, and through taking a sample on the vehicle after it is delivered to the facility. In many plants, physicochemical analyses are conducted, but resistance, elasticity and energy measurements, which are the most important analysis factors, are skipped since rheological measurements require a long time, and therefore significant fluctuations occur during production as a result of stocking the raw material in these conditions. In addition to qualified labour force, high quality laboratory equipment is needed in order to avoid such problems.
The technology of laboratory instruments is developing every day, and it is now possible to carry out quicker and more accurate measurements with fully automated instruments capable of performing instant measurement. We can gain important advantages in terms of stocking the raw material in accordance with the intended purpose by installing these devices to our production lines.
B – PRODUCT ANALYSES:
Sustainability and continuity is ensured in quality criteria by conducting physical, physico-chemical, rheological analyses and producing the end product flour with trial production under optimum conditions. In each process of production stages, blended and annealed wheats are subject to analyses on a periodical basis, and spects of the product is adapted to the intended purpose. In laboratory environment, the flour is optimized by observing factors such as humidity, gluten, protein, ash, resistance, elasticity, energy, sedimentation, water retention, starch impairment, colour and number of piques, which affect the quality directly. Also, optimization of enzymes, which play a significant role in processing dough and turning it into bread, is achieved during these phases.
Not only a fully equipped laboratory, but also deploying fully automated instruments, which are capable of performing instant measurement operations, to the production lines, is of great importance. Because it may take a long time for the personnel to see a potential failure that may take place in the production lines, and take the necessary action, particularly as far as realizing the clogging and tearing problems in the sieve. It is certain that the product produced in this period will deviate from the standard. In such cases, online devices which are connected to the production line, and capable of performing instant measurement operations, give warning, and play an important role in eliminating the problems quickly, and maintaining the production process in an efficient manner. Although flour industrialists sincerely wish to use this type of devices, purchasing them is always postponed due to their high prices.
Flour industrialists of Turkey, a leading country in export, must be provided with the opportunity to use devices capable of performing online measurement operation with the solution formulations (leasing, campaigns or renting) by Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Industry and Commerce and TUSAF, and reaching agreement with companies, which manufacture this type of devices. Anyway, isn’t the principle aim of TUSAF and its existence to provide support and service to flour industrialists? In the context of ensuring a sustainable quality control in milling, we kindly request institutions and organizations, which are acting as stakeholders of supply processes of online devices capable of instant measuring, to find solutions.