Selection of suitable and sustainable clarificants and clarification method for non-centrifugal sugar production using MCE

Abstract

In production of non-centrifugal sugar (NCS), number of processes are involved viz. extraction of juice, clarification of juice, concentration of juice, molding, packing. Clarification is one of the most important process that eliminates the non-sugars impurities present in the extracted raw sugarcane juice that effects the quality of NCS. The quality and shelf-life of NCS mainly depends upon the type of clarification technique, type of clarifiers used and the efficiency of sugarcane juice clarification. The present work provides insight into a logical process for identifying an effective and sustainable method of clarification to improve the quality of NCS using multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) technique. The selection process is based on 11 criteria covering various sustainability factors viz. resources & environmental effects, techno-economic and process output parameters. Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) integrated with conventional AHP method and TOPSIS are the MCE techniques considered to identify the most appropriate method of clarification among the five alternatives considered. The result showed that clarification with plant mucilage is found to be the most appropriate and sustainable method of clarification to enhance NCS quality and shelf-life. On the other hand, the conventional practice of using inorganic clarifiers as per food standard limit can be used as a secondary option.