Project develops sorting technology for better grain-based food products
As not all grains are created equal, a team of scientists has devised a new system for sorting the best wheat grains for use in bread, pasta and biscuit products. The TRIQ SORTING system differs from other technological approaches by sorting wheat grains based on their internal content instead of external factors such as size, colour and density. The system involves capturing individual particles, in this case wheat grains, in little pockets on the inside surface of a specially equipped cylinder. The grains are then irradiated individually with infrared light and the reflections analysed by a specially designed detector. From there, the grains are shot out by bursts of air into appropriate receptacles. The cylinder rotates and the next batch of grains is analysed. The Swedish company BoMill teamed up with Cimbria Heid, a small company from Austria, which specialises in the development and installation of seed and grain processing plants. They both received support from EUREKA, the European network for market-oriented research and development (R&D), for the €0.51 million, 20 month project. Bo Loqvist, CEO of BoMill AB, said the new system simplifies the wheat grain sorting process: 'We have already demonstrated the feasibility of this system for sorting wheat for food production and malting barley. It is capable of sorting, with a high degree of accuracy, as many as two billion individual wheat kernels per hour. 'The market potential is also staggering, considering the wide range of possible applications in the food industry alone.' The TRIQ SORTING team is now looking into fully commercialising the new product.
Countries
Austria, Sweden