Quality Control¶
1. Raw Material Specifications¶
| Parameter | Whole Seed | Frequency | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture | ≤ 8.0% | Every lot | AOAC 925.10 |
| Protein (N×6.25) | 18–24% | Every lot | AOAC 984.13 |
| Fat | 38–44% | Every lot | AOAC 920.39 |
| ALA (% of fat) | 52–57% | Weekly composite | GC-FID (AOCS Ce 1j-07) |
| Foreign material | ≤ 0.5% | Every lot | Visual + sieve |
| Free fatty acids (oil) | ≤ 1.0% | Every lot | AOCS Ca 5a-40 |
| Mold / ergosterol | Visual negative | Every lot | Visual / HPLC |
| Viable weed seeds | ≤ 2 per kg | Every lot | Germination test |
2. In-Process Specifications¶
| Stage | Parameter | Frequency | Target | Action Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After cleaning | Purity | Every 2 hr | ≥ 99.9% | < 99.5% → clean sorter |
| After dehulling | Kernel purity | Every 2 hr | ≥ 95% | < 92% → adjust classifier |
| After milling | Particle size | Every 2 hr | Within mesh spec | ±1 mesh → change screen |
| Oil pressing | Temperature | Continuous | < 40°C | > 40°C → reduce feed |
| Oil pressing | Peroxide value | Every batch | ≤ 2.0 meq/kg | > 2.0 → hold, test |
| Gum extraction | Polysaccharide | Every batch | ≥ 80% | < 75% → reprocess |
| Drying | Moisture | Every 30 min | Per spec | ±0.5% → adjust residence |
| Packaging | N₂ O₂ level | Every bag | < 2% | > 2% → reject bag |
3. HACCP Plan (5 CCPs)¶
| CCP | Process Step | Hazard | Critical Limit | Monitoring | Corrective Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCP-1 | Cleaning & grading | Physical (metal, stone) | Magnet 10K Gauss, Colour sorter ≥ 95% removal | Every 30 min magnet test; hourly sorter reject review | Clean magnet, recalibrate sorter, quarantine affected product |
| CCP-2 | Oil pressing | Chemical (oxidation) | Temperature < 40°C, PV ≤ 2.0 meq/kg | Continuous temp, PV per batch | Reduce feed rate, hold product for PV retest |
| CCP-3 | Gum extraction | Chemical (solvent residue) | Residual ethanol < 50 ppm | Per batch GC headspace | Rerun desolventisation, retest |
| CCP-4 | Drying | Biological (mould, bacteria) | Moisture per product spec ± 0.5% | Every 30 min moisture, continuous temp | Adjust residence/heating, quarantine out-of-spec |
| CCP-5 | Packaging | Physical (metal) | Fe ≥ 0.5 mm, NF ≥ 0.7 mm, SS ≥ 1.0 mm | Every 30 min test wand verification | Stop line, quarantine from last clean test |
4. Analytical Methods Reference¶
| Parameter | Method | Organisation | Principle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture | 925.10 | AOAC | Oven drying, 105°C |
| Protein | 984.13 | AOAC | Kjeldahl (N×6.25) |
| Fat | 920.39 | AOAC | Soxhlet, petroleum ether |
| Dietary fiber | 991.43 | AOAC | Enzymatic-gravimetric |
| ALA profile | Ce 1j-07 | AOCS | GC-FID |
| Peroxide value | Cd 8b-90 | AOCS | Titration |
| Free fatty acids | Ca 5a-40 | AOCS | Titration |
| Colour | Cc 13b-45 | AOCS | Lovibond |
| Polysaccharide | — | Phenol-sulfuric | UV-Vis 490 nm |
| Heavy metals | 993.14 | AOAC | ICP-MS |
| Yeast & mold | 997.02 | AOAC | Petri film |
| Salmonella | 994.04 | AOAC | Culture + PCR |