Process to mark bulk solid food grains for human or animal consumption by introduction of colour-stained grains

摘要

In a process to mark bulk solids of similar size, shape and surface roughness, a marker agent with the same type of physical properties is introduced to the bulk ingredient. The market has one or more supplementary characteristics e.g. colour that differentiate it from the bulk. In a further embodiment a quantity of the bulk solid is removed from the batch and stained by a food-grade additive colouring agent prior to re-introduction and admixture to the original batch. In a further embodiment the stained markers are subsequently separated from the main batch by an optical process. The bulk solids are foods intended for human or animal consumption. Also claimed is a suitable bulk solid containing an optical marker, a transponder market, a reflective marker, plastic grain marker, ferromagnetic particle marker or neutral buoyancy marker.