Product testing and quality control in PFMC flour milling plant: Problems and solutions

• Main Author: Cangrejo, Bernie C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2004
• Subjects: Flour mills; Quality control; Quality of products; Production engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3141
• Institution: De La Salle University

Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation (PFMC) is the only flour milling company in Western Visayas. It manufactures flour as its main product and feeds as byproducts in the milling of wheat. Its mission is to become an effective milling company by answering the demands of its customers thru excellent products and quality service. The value therefore of product testing and quality control is of paramount importance to the company. Product testing and quality control in processing of wheat into flour involves testing the raw materials, determining the best method of converting it into a product of uniform and established quality, and evaluating changes that the product undergoes during the process and storage. Product testing and quality control are functions under the Quality Control Department of PFMC where the practicum program was conducted. Included in the practicum work was the testing of moisture, maltose, protein and ash content of the product flour. These product flour quality parameters are critical because they form the basis for flour selling and the performance in baking. A practicum project was conducted to survey the product testing procedures and standards, as well as, find solutions to problems related to moisture, maltose, protein and ash content going above or below the set product flour quality standards. The encountered problems are presented, the possible sources in the milling process of flour quality deviation identified, and the solutions related to the milling process are given based on theory and experience, through observations, interviews and research work. A better understanding of the milling process is necessary for this in turn will form the basis of relating the process to the product flour quality parameters. The flour milling technology is therefore presented from the morphology of wheat to flour manufacture and products, including the complete product analysis procedures. The practicum project results showed the critical areas related to product flour quality and gave solutions and recommendations to the encountered problem.