Abstract
Food-grade tracers have been developed as an identification technology for grain traceability from original harvest to final destination for transportation. The characteristics of food-grade tracers must be able to satisfy the environmental demands for grain traceability. To optimize the food-grade tracer production process, the effects of direct compression formulation and load on the mechanical characteristics were studied using response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD). Among the four tested formulations, Formulations #2 (consisting of 35.00% lactose 100 mesh, 64.50% microcrystalline cellulose 102 and 0.50% magnesium stearate) and #4 (consisting of 38.00% lactose 100 mesh, 50.00% microcrystalline cellulose 102, 11.00% pregelatinized starch and 1.00% magnesium stearate) were selected for tracer production based on their physical properties as powders. The value of Carr’s flowability index was 68 for both Formulations #2 and #4, which was the highest among all the formulations. Therefore, Formulations #2 and #4 also had the best powder flowability. The magnesium stearate ratio (1.00%-3.00%) and pressure (6.00-16.00 kgf) were used as independent variables to detect changes in the breaking rate, peak shear force and friction coefficient of tracers compressed by the selected formulations. The optimal production parameters could be achieved at a magnesium stearate ratio of 2.25% and pressure of 16.00 kgf for Formulation #2 and at a magnesium stearate ratio of 1.02% and pressure of 16.00 kgf for Formulation #4. Under these optimal conditions, the tracers had good impact characteristics (breaking rate), compression characteristics (peak shear force) and frictional characteristics (friction coefficient). Moreover, Formulation #2 was more suitable for production because compared to Formulation #4, its breaking rate and friction coefficient values were lower, and its peak shear force value was higher. Keywords: grain traceability, food-grade tracer, optimization, food safety, formulation, mechanical property, central composite design DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20171006.3531 Citation: Liang K, Zhang L L, Lu W, Okinda C S, Shen M X. Optimization of compression formulation and load of food-grade tracers for grain traceability using central composite design. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(6): 221–230.
Highlights
Grain production and consumption in China account for 30% of total grain consumption worldwide, and grain food safety is a key safety issue for food production
In this work, we investigated the influences of tracer production process parameters on the impact characteristics, compression characteristics and frictional characteristics of food-grade tracers
The formulations were slightly changed by altering the magnesium stearate ratio in order to evaluate the effect of the magnesium stearate concentration on the impact characteristics, compression characteristics and frictional characteristics of food-grade tracers
Summary
For 30% of total grain consumption worldwide, and grain food safety is a key safety issue for food production. Grain from various origins is typically mixed according to its different uses and grades at multiple points in the supply chain, making it impossible to determine the point of origin[11] To address this problem, some iron pellets with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology were developed and applied to achieve grain traceability in continuous grain flows[12]. A readable code with traceability information is marked on the surface of tracers by an ink jet printer[16,17] Among these three procedures, the compressing process has the most important effect on the mechanical characteristics of the tracers. This research provides a reference for low-cost, environmentally adaptable and applied production technologies for the development of food-grade tracers in grain supply chains
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