How to analyse Total Ash in Bakery and Confectionery Products

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How to Analyse Total Ash content in Bakery and Confectionery Product

Total Ash Analysis Explanation for Bakery and Confectionery Products

This method is applicable for determination of Total ash in Bakery and confectionery products.

 

APPARATUS

•  Silica Dish or Ash Dish
•  Muffle furnace
•  Analytical Weighing Balance
•  Desiccator
•  Grinder

 

PROCEDURE

 Sample preparation

In case of powdered or Solid substances, mix the contents of a whole pack and, if necessary. Further, grind in a clean and dry mortar to convert it into homogenous powder. Store the around sample in a clean and dry air-tight glass container.

 For low moisture:

crisp products, such as biscuits, cookies, and rusks, etc., Break the contents of the whole pack into small pieces and subsequently, grind the pieces either in an electrically driven, clean. dry blender or in a clean and dry mortar to a near homogenous powder. Store the powdered material in a dry air-tight glass container.

 For semi-moisture products:

cakes, bread, buns, etc. Cut the contents of the pack into small pieces with the help of clean dry scissors or a sharp-edged knife and further grind in an electrically driven dry blender taking care that the sample temperature does not rise above 45~ in the entire operation.

In the case of packs above 400 g, such as bread, slice them uniformly into thin slices with the help of a sharp-edged knife and take two slices from the center and two from each end leaving. The outermost end slices and proceed as described above.

 

Sample analysis

 

Previously dried Silica Dish in the oven maintained at 105 ± 2⁰C and weighed. Check carefully there is no water content and any other impurities present inside the Silica dish.

Silica Dish or Ash Dish

Note the initial weight for empty silica dish. And tared the dish. Confirms the weighing balance show 0.0000g

Weigh accurately about 5gm of sample in a tared silica dish.

 Ignite the sample in the dish with the flame of a suitable burner for about one hour.

 Complete the ignition by keeping it in a muffle furnace at 500±10°C until grey ash results. Minimum 4hours maintained at 500±10°C was enough to complete the sample fully converted into ash.

 Cool in a desiccator and weigh. Repeat the process of igniting, cooling, and weighing at one-hour intervals until the difference between two successive weighings is less than 1mg.

 

Note the lowest weight. If you want to know Acid Insoluble Ash analysis preserve the Ash content.

 

CALCULATION

 Total ash percent by weight = 10000 X (M₂- M) / (M₁-M)X(100-W)

 

M = mass in gm of the empty dish

M₁ =mass in gm of the dish with the sample taken analysis.

M₂ = mass in gm of the dish with the ash

 W = Percent moisture in the sample.

 

Calculation The explanation for Total ash:

 Example for Total Ash analysis:

 

Initial weight of Silica Dish (M)                    = 30.2869 g

Sample Weight                                           = 5.0362 g

Initial Weight + Sample Weight                  = 35.3231 g

Final Silica dish Weight with ash (M2)       = 30.4827 g

Moisture (W)                                               = 7.4 %

 

Total Ash (%) by mass                     =   10000 X (30.4827-30.2869)

                                                               (35.3231-30.2869) X (100-7.4)

 

                                                          = 10000 X 0.1958

                                                             5.0362 X 92.6

 

                                                          =    1958

                                                              466.35212

 

                                                          = 4.198 or 4.2 %

 

REFERENCE

 IS 12711