Investigating sour starch production in Brazil

In sour starch producing countries such as Brazil and Colombia, most production is from small and medium-sized plants. If the sector is to develop, it must adapt to changing circumstances, environmental factors, and market demand for improved product quality. Data on current processing operations are essential for identifying and prioritizing development and modernization needs. This paper presents the results of a detailed, in-depth investigation of sour starch production in southern Brazil. We first describe the major processing operations: root preparation, disintegration, screening for fiber removal, sedimentation, and drying. Then we discuss the inputs and outputs for each operation, the composition of products and intermediates within the process, and, in particular, the volume and composition of waste waters-a factor of increasing environmental concern. The data are then related to starch production technology used in other countries. Areas identified for future development and improvement include quality definition and standardization, marketing and promotion, and pollution abatement measures eng