dry climate ofimperial Valley. The net result is an apparent increase in percent sugar in the beet.

Transcription

1 PRESERVING SUGAR BEETS USING PROPIONIC ACID Jhn B. Pratt, Jhn E. Schaefer, KABO Chemicals, Inc., P. O. Bx 3236 Jacksn Hle, WY Phne KABO OVERVIEW This paper reprts the results f tests perfrmed in three climatic regins f America; the desert regin f suthern Califrnia, the milder regin f Idah and the 'tundra' f Nrth Dakta. A reductin f sugar lss in stred sugar beets, Beta vulgaris, was btained using a prprietary blend f prpinic acid and surfactant. Field tests, cnducted in the Imperial Valley in Califrnia, indicate that a significant reductin in sugar lss, as well as a pssible dehydratin advantage, may be accmplished with this treatment. Sugar lss and excessive mld grwth, hwever, did ccur in the Idah test. Excessive mld grwth and rt rt did ccur in the Nrth Dakta test. Test #1 - Desert regin f suthern Califrnia OBJECTIVE The bjective f this trial was t determine if prpinic acid, a grain preservative distributed by KABO Chemicals, Inc., has a psitive effect n the strage f sliced and whle sugar beets. Reducing sugar lss due t bilgical degradatin culd prve beneficial t the entire beet sugar industry. Fur (4) samples were studied; whle untreated, whle treated, sliced untreated and sliced treated. PROCEDURE Testing began n 9 July Freshly harvested beets were picked ff a cnveyer belt, by hand, befre ging t strage sheds. The beets were depsited int a 275 galln pen tp Schutz tte bin. The tte had cntained an il based defamer, KFO 557, and was cleaned thrughly bef re any beets were placed int it. Enugh beets were gathered t fill 4 tte bins 0/4 full. The lids f the plastic lined Schutz tte bins had been remved, hence the beets were expsed t full sunlight and air. After filling, tw f the tte bins were dumped nt the grund and 3 individuals prceeded t use beet knifes, btained frm the tare lab, t cut each beet int apprximately 4 pieces. The pieces were replaced in the apprpriate tte bins. When each cntainer was apprximately 12 full f sliced beets 55 gallns f prpinic acid and surfactant was pured int the tte. Enugh f the slutin was used t cmpletely submerge all the sliced beets. The frklift driver then picked up the tte and "shk" it with an up and dwn mtin fr 2-3 minutes. In additin, he drve back and frth during this same 2-3 minutes. Vibratin was used t make certain that all areas f the beet were in cntact with the prpinic acid slutin and that n air pckets remained. The prpinic acid slutin was drained frm the sliced beet bin int the whle beet bin t prvide treatment f that sample. The same prcedure f lifting and vibrating t free any air pckets was used n the whle beets. Ambient temperatures ranged frm degrees Fahrenheit during this test perid. N attempt was made t prtect the beets frm direct sunlight. Dehydratin f 1

2 the beets was evident visually and may prvide a gd reasn t cntinue testing in that climate. Shipping dehydrated versus fresh beets culd ffer a significant financial reasn fr lng term expanded use f prpinic acid. Samples fr the tare lab were btained by remving a 'cre' sectin f beets. Samples were dearly labeled and the tare lab tested percent sugar and percent purity feach sample. Tare lab samples were scheduled fr each Mnday and Friday beginning n 12 July Actual tare labratry test dates varied frm this plan because ftheir wrk lad. RESULTS The results f treatment with a prpinic acid/surfactant slutin indicate that sugar nrmally lst t bacterial degradatin can be significantly reduced when applying prpinic acid t the surface fthe beet, befre strage. Whle Beets: Initial percent sugar values were J5.6% andpurity was 82.64%. % Sugar: Sugar cntent in the whle untreated beets increased slightly fr 6 days t 17.86% sugar. See chart #J. This increase was due t the rapid rate fdehydratin that ccurs in the ht, dry climate fimperial Valley. The net result is an apparent increase in percent sugar in the beet. Fr the next 5 days the sugar cntent decreased, smewhat rapidly, and n day 11 and day 13 reached 8.55% and 9.29% respectively. The tenninal average sugar cntent fr whle untreated beets was 13.91%. The percent sugar in whle beets treated with prpinic acid increased frm 15.6% t.16%. This is a significant increase in percent sugar cntent, with ne sample slightly lwer than its' previus test. The terminal average sugar was 17.85% fr whle beets treated with prpinic acid. % Purity: The purity f whle untreated beets increased nly slightly fr the first 6 days. See chart #2. Then it decreased frm a high f % t a lw f 4l.22% with a terminal average value f66.3 6%. One wuld expect purity t decrease as micrrganisms eat and digest sucrse. The average purity f whle untreated beet was 66.28%, 16.28% percentage pints belw the starting pint. The purity f whle treated beets increased initially, decreased slightly, then increased again. Sampling errr may accunt fr the anmalies seen in this testing. The average purity f whle treated beet was 83.46%, r percentage pints abve the starting purity. Sliced Beets: Initial percent sugar readings were J5.6% andpurity was 82.64%. % Sugar: Sugar in sliced untreated samples increased frm 15.6% initially t a high f J9.47% n day 6. See chart #3. Day 11 shwed a decrease in sugar dwn t 14.0% and n day 13 reached a lw f % sugar. The rapid rise in sugar is mst likely due t dehydratin f the beets, because they were chpped int 4 pieces. The increased surface area allwed mre rapid dehydratin t take place. Average sugar cntent in the sliced untreated beet was 15.78%, percentage pints abve the starting value. Percent sugar in sliced treated beets cntinued t increase thrughut the 13 day test perid. These samples peaked at.5% n day 13. This is in sharp cntrast t an untreated sample value f 11.18% sugar n the same day. The average sugar cntent f sliced treated beet was 18.99%, 3.39 percentage pints abve the initial value. % Purity: Change in purity f sliced untreated and sliced treated was nt as dramatic as that seen 2

3 in whle beets. See chart #4. Hwever, the lwest value fr sliced untreated was 27.48% and the lwest fr sliced treated was 62.02%. The highest readings fr sliced untreated and sliced treated were 82.64% purity and 89.36% purity respectively. The average values fr sliced untreated and sliced treated were 66.37% and 78.72% respectively. The sliced treated beets maintained higher purity when cmpared with sliced untreated beets. CONCLUSION A slutin f prpinic acid and surfactant, when used t treat whle r sliced beets, appears t inhibit micrbilgical activity that causes the degradatin f sugar in the beet. Percent sugar in the treated beet, sliced r nt, was significantly higher than when the beet was first harvested. The apparent increase in the percent sugar in whle untreated beets during the first days was the result f dehydratin. Decreasing water cntent in the beet was evident because all samples, whle and especially sliced beets, became smaller, dryer and wrinkled n the surface. A marked decrease in sugar cntent was apparent beginning n day 11 in untreated beets. It is likely that bilgical degradatin f whle untreated beets was the primary factr in reducing the sugar cntent t 8.55%. The sugar cntent in the treated beets, whle and sliced, cntinued t increase as water evaprated. In each sample tested the percent sugar was higher than the initial value f 15.6%. Sme samples reached % sugar. Untreated beets, hwever, reached a lw f 8.55% sugar. One can surmise that this slutin f prpinic acid and surfactant was instrumental in preventing infectin f the treated beets. Ptentially, the increase,in apparent percent sugar f treated beets culd prduce a significant decrease in transprtatin csts. Fr an example, a rail car laded with 85 tns at 15.85% sugar yields 26,945 lbs. f sugar. The same rail car laded with 19.8% beets yields 33,660 Ibs. f sugar. Thus, a net increase f 6,715 Ibs. f sugar per rail car can be transprted. Ifa factry requires 75 rail cars per day t perate, r 6375 tns per day slice rate, this equates t apprximately 503,625 lbs. per day f "extra" sugar transprted, effectively reducing transprtatin csts. Chart #1 - WHOLE BEETS - PERCENT SUGAR ~ ~==~ DayO Day 4 Day 6 Day 11 Day 13 Untreated Prpinic Acid 3

4 Chart #2 - WHOLE BEETS - PERCENT PURITY 100 ~ ~ Day 0 Day 4 Day 6 Day 11 Day 13 Untreated Prpinic Acid Chart #3 - SLICED BEETS - PERCENT SUGAR ~ ~--~===-~~~--~==------~=r Day 0 Day4 Day6 Day 11 Day 13 Untreated Prpinic Acid Chart #4 - SLICED BEETS - PERCENT PURITY 100 ~ Day 0 Day 4 Day6 Day 11 Day 13 Untreated Prpinic Acid 4

5 Test #2 - Milder climate fidah OBJECIVE The bjective fthis trial was t detennine if prpinic acid has a psitive effect n the lng term strage f sugar beets in the relatively milder climate f Idah. Reducing sugar lss due t bilgical degradatin culd prve beneficial t the entire beet sugar industry. Three (3) piles f 5 tns f beets each were studied. Tw f the piles were treated and ne was untreated, a cntrl pile, with prpinic acid. Visual bservatins as well as labratry analyses were t be cnducted. PROCEDURE On Nvember 11, 1996, three (3) lads f beets at five (5) tns each were btained frm an existing factry pile. Tw (2) f the lads were treated with a slutin f prpinic acid and surfactant. The slutin was applied t the beets using a high pressure sprayer. Apprximately 10 gallns f prpinic acid were applied t each treated pile. Pile #1 was treated with a slutin f apprximately 25% prpinic acid. Pile #2 was treated with a slutin f apprximately 45% prpinic acid. There was a cntrl pile fr cmparisn. The treated piles were sprayed, as ppsed t submerged,. KABO feels that spraying beets is a mre realistic applicatin technique shuld the prduct prve t be an effective beet preservative in this climate. The three piles were allwed t sit, n the nrth side f an existing factry pile, fr 2 Yz mnths. The test piles were smewhat prtected frm direct sunlight, althugh nt cvered. applied t the three test piles. RESULTS N further treatment was On January 29, 1997 all three piles were inspected and phtgraphed. The first and mst apparent bservatin was that the cntrl pile lked just like the factry pile. It was cvered with snw. Cnversely, the tw treated piles were nt cvered with snw. Frm a distance, ne culd see the beets in the piles. Bacterial and mld grwth generated enugh heat t melt the snw. When the piles were examined, the untreated beets were fund t be frzen, had gd turgidity and appeared healthy. When sliced in half, the cntrl grup had a healthy yellwish clr, shwed little sign f internal rt and lked very much like the large factry pile. On the ther hand, the treated beets were cvered excessively with mld. On examinatin f the treated piles, every beet inspected was envelped in mld. When these beets were sliced in half, they shwed signs f rt up t 2 inches deep frm their uter skin. Many f the beets had excessive internal rt and had becme very sft. The were in a state fcntinuing decay. CONCLUSION Prpinic acid failed t cntrl mld grwth in this envirnment. The sugar cntent drpped frm 16.32% sugar in the cntrl pile t 2.57% sugar and 5.97% sugar in the tw treated piles. See chart #5. Percent purity was 80.28% in the cntrl pile and decreased t 43.12% and 62.56% in the tw treated piles. See chart #6. In this test, prpinic acid failed t cntrl mld grwth and rt rt. Further testing wuld be desirable t determine whether r nt the cncentratin f prpinic acid might have been strng enugh t burn the beets. 5

6 Chart #5 - PERCENT SUGAR _ _ _ _ _ _- _ Untreated OPile#1.Pile#2 Chart #6 - PERCENT PURITY 100~ ~ " ~::::.'.. ::~ : ~~:::::;;:i;~l:j~;; -+- :'il'!!i!!;:':,:,,:i,:!,',!!iii,,!:::l! Untreated Pile #1.Pile#2 Test #3 - Labratry Test in Nrth Dakta OBJECIVE The bjective f this trial was t determine if prpinic acid has a psitive effect n lng term strage f sugar beets in a cntrlled labratry setting. A reductin f sugar lss due t bilgical degradatin culd prve beneficial t the entire beet sugar industry. PROCEDURE Sugar beets were sprayed, as ppsed t being submerged, with a slutin f prpinic acid and surfactant. They were the stred in a cntrued envirnment f ~9 5% humidity and ~38% Fahrenheit fr the duratin f this test. The beets remained in strage fr a perid ftime ranging frm 4 weeks up t 4 mnths. They were bserved visually fr mld grwth and rt rt. An index was used t determine the relative cnditin fthe rt. A rt rt index was used, grading the beets n a scale f 0 t 10. Zer indicates the rt is very healthy and has n rt. A reading f 10 indicates rt rt has cmpletely destryed the beet. Samples were nt submitted t labratry analysis fr percent sugar and percent purity. 6

7 RESULTS The beets were inspected, visually, during this test. Untreated beets had an average range f 2-3 n the rt rt index. Treated beets had an average range f 5-6 n the rt rt index. Prpinic acid failed t cntrl mld grwth and rt rt in this envirnment. KABO wuld like t thank; Hlly Sugar Crpratin, The Amalgamated Sugar Cmpany and American Crystal Sugar Crpratin fr their interest, cperatin and participatin during these tests. The authrs appreciate this pprtunity t demnstrate KABO Chemicals, Inc., cmmitment t tbe sugar beet industry. Additinally, KABO Chemicals, Inc., feel that the mst applicable area fr this prduct might be pellets. Prpinic acid is currently used as a grain preservative fr cattle and pultry feeds. Pellets are similar t these grains in misture cntent. There culd be substantial advantages in fuel savings shuld this prve an effective applicatin. Testing in this area shuld be cnducted. 7