Diseño de un proceso industrial para la obtención de harina a partir de mashua (tropaeolum tuberosum) en la empresa de suplementos alimenticios Savaled

Abstract

The purpose of this technical project was to design the industrial process for obtaining flour from mashua (tropaeolum tuberosum) for its subsequent implementation in the food supplement company SAVALED. Within the process for its elaboration, variables such as humidity, natural drying time with sun exposure of 5 - 7 days, mechanical drying using a gas tray dryer for 10 - 20 hours and temperature in a range of 65 - 80 °C were determined. Subsequently, the process was sized and consisted of the following stages: reception and selection of raw material, sunning, washing, peeling and cutting, drying, milling, sieving and packaging. For the characterization of the raw material (mashua), the results were taken from the bibliography of research already carried out and based on the INEN 1516 standard in the general provisions section, the tuber was classified to obtain a product of excellent quality that guarantees its consumption. In addition, physicochemical and microbiological analyses of the mashua flour were carried out, obtaining a particle size of 95%, in the parameters of protein, fat, ash, moisture, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, molds and yeasts, complying with the maximum and minimum requirements established by INEN 616, with the exception of wet gluten, which is a product not suitable for the production of baked goods. For the industrial scaling up of a weekly production of 500 kg, a useful area of 57.27 m2 is required, obtaining 1,155 bags of mashua flour in 500 g presentations, obtaining a profit of 0.48 cents for each dollar invested, recovering the cost of the investment in a period of 3 years.