Infrared process to monitor the quality of the mixed dry ingredients in the preparation of noodles, couscous, extruded or agglomerated starch-based food products

摘要

In a continual process to prepare food from water, flour and/or semolina, the dry ingredients are transported from a hopper to a dry mixing zone to a wet mixing zone. During the transportation process ingredient samples are measured at intervals by N-infra red reflection spectroscopy to determine one or more parameters. The parameters are e.g. grain, water content, protein content, fat and ash content. The overall process takes place in four stages, the spectroscopy being the third. In the first stage the ingredients are held at readiness. The ingredients consist of two or more starch-based substances e.g. flour or semolina. The ingredients are then discharged in the required ratio to a vessel in which they are mixed to a homogenous condition, followed by transfer and NIR measurement to the a vessel in which water is added and mixed 20-60 % wt.