QUANTIFICATION OF PHYSICAL LOSSES PRODUCTS IN A PLANT OF FEED - DOI: 10.13083/1414-3984/reveng.v23n2p105-118

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Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate the quantity, costs and contaminations of the physical losses of products (corn, meals, flours, feeds, and micro ingredients) caused by the maintenance system utilized in equipment of the different stages of a feed production mill. The experiment was conducted in a feed industry with production capacity of 1,000 ton day-1. Firstly, an assessment of the maintenance system used in the feed mill was performed, after the products losses were quantified in the external and internal sectors of the milling steps. Two methods were utilized for loss quantification: per sector and per equipment of the feed industry. Samples of the products were collected in different points of the area evaluated for counting of fungi and salmonella colonies, insects and mites. The results showed that a large number of maintenances were not performed within the programmed period, up to 70%. In addition, the equipment maintenance system utilized in the feed milling significantly influenced product losses, reaching 120 kg and costs of US$ 38 per hour worked. The microbiological analysis presented a high contamination index by fungi and salmonellas sp. (7,4 x 104 CFU g-1) in corn grain.

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