Amylase Helps Control Starch in Sugar Factories

NEW ORLEANSAdding the enzyme amylase during sugar-factory processing helps control or prevent starch buildup in processed raw sugars and products made with those sugar, according to new research from scientists at USDAs Agricultural Research Service. (ARS).

Gillian Eggleston with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Commodity Utilization Research Unit in New Orleans, has been studying sugarcane that comes into factories containing too much field leafy residue called trash". Environmental concerns have led to a shift away from burning cane in open fields to remove such trash, which means more trash or green cane is entering factories. Processing green, unburnt cane also results in excess starch in raw and refined sugars, molasses and food products.

Eggleston conducted trials in three Louisiana-based sugar processing factories using an amylase that was intermediate-temperature (IT) stable and in a concentrated form. She used diluted solutions of concentrated amylase to improve contact between the amylase and starch. The solutions break starch down into smaller, more manageable molecules when added to factory tanks.

One of the solutions she tested contained concentrated IT-stable amylase diluted threefold in water at the factory. When the solution was added at a dose of 2 parts per million (ppm) per ton of cane juice, starch breakdown was about 32 percent. When the dose was raised to 5 ppm per ton of cane juice, starch breakdown increased to 42 percent.

Adding the amylase to the next-to-the-last evaporatorinstead of the last evaporator as is traditionalimproved starch breakdown even more. She also noted diluted solutions of concentrated amylase is more cost-effective than using undiluted non-concentrated amylase.