SORTING AND

GRADING OF FOODS

Prof.Dr. Şebnem TAVMAN

Doç.Dr. Seher KUMCUOĞLU

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 1

SORTING AND GRADING
Sorting and grading are terms which are frequently used
interchangeably in the food processing industry, but strictly
speaking they are distinct operations.
Sorting is a separation based on a single measurable
property of raw material units, while grading is “the
assessment of the overall quality of a food using a number
of attributes”.
Grading of fresh produce may also be defined as ‘sorting
according to quality’, as sorting usually upgrades the
product.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 2

 REASONS FOR SORTING
Sorting plays an important part in controlling the
effectiveness of many food processes.

They are better suited to mechanised operations such

as peeling, blanching, pitting and coring.

They are necessary in processes in which uniformity of

heat transfer is critical (e.g. sterilisation and
pasteurisation) and they are advantageous in processes
in which uniformity of heat transfer is desirable (e.g.
dehydration and freezing)

Sorted products are more attractive

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 3

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING
Critaria for sorting of materials:

Category Criteria
Physical criteria Size, weight and shape
Technological criteria Processing suitability or compatibility
to existing equipment

Organoleptic Texture, color, aroma, ripeness or

freshness

Commercial Attractiveness, tradition, variety, utility,

price

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 4

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF SORTING

Sorting is carried out individual physical properties:

Weight
Size
Density
Shape
Photometric

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 5

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING
Weight is usually the most precise method of sorting, as it
is not dependent on the geometry of the products.
Eggs, fruit or vegetables may be separated into weight
categories using spring-loaded, strain gauge or electronic
weighing devices incorporated into conveying systems.
A disadvantage of weight sorting is the relatively long time
required per unit; and other methods are more appropriate
with smaller items such as legumes or cereals,or if faster
throughput is required.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 6

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING
Size sorting is less precise than weight sorting, but is
considerably cheaper.
The size and shape of food units are difficult to define
precisely. Size categories could involve a number of
physical parameters, including diameter, length or
projected area.
Flatbed and rotary screens are the main geometries of the
fixed bed screen and a number of screens may be used in
series or in parallel to sort units into several size categories
simultaneously.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 7

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 8
CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING
Shape sorting is useful in cases where the food units are
contaminated with particles similar size and weight. This is
particularly applicable to grain which may contain other
seeds. The principle is that discs or cylinders with
accurately shaped indentations will pick up seeds of the
correct shape when rotated through the stock, while other
shapes will remain in the feed.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 9

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING

Cross-section of disc separators for cleaning cereals

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 10

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING
Density can be a marker of suitability for certain
processes. The density of peas correlates well with
tenderness and sweetness, while the solids content of
potatoes, which determines suitability for manufacture of
crisps and dried products, relates to density.

Sorting on the basis of density can be achieved using

flotation in brine at different concentrations.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 11

CRITERIA AND METHODS OF
SORTING
Photometric properties may be used as a basis of sorting. In
practice this usually means color. Color is often a measure of
maturity, presence of defects or degree of processing.

Manual color sorting is carried out widely on conveyor belts or

sorting tables, but is expensive. The process can be automated
using highly photocells which compare reflectance of units to
present standards and can reject defective or wrongly coloured
e.g. blackened, units, usually by blast of compressed air. This
system is used for small particulate foods such as navy
beans or maize kernels for canning, or nuts, rice and small
fruit.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 12

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 13
 GRADING

Grading is classification on the basis of quality

(incorporating commercial value, end use and official
standards.

Appropriate inspection belts or conveyors are designed to

present the whole surface to the operator. Trained manual
operators are frequently used to judge the quality, and may
use comparison to charted standards or even plastic
models.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 14

GRADING
For example a fruit grader could
simultaneously judge shape, colour and
evenness of colour .

Egg handling involves inspection of eggs spun in front of a

light so that many factors including shell cracks, diseases,
blood spots or fertilisation can be detected.

Machine grading is only feasible where quality of food is

linked to a single physical property and hence a sorting
operation leads to different grades of material. For example,
size of peas is related to tenderness and sweetness,
therefore size sorting results in different quality grades.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 15

 GRADING

Grading of foods is also determination of the quality of a

batch. This can be done by human graders who asses the
quality of random samples of foods such as cheese or
butter or meat inspectors. Alternatively, batches of some
foods may be graded on the basis of laboratory analysis.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 16

BLANCHING
Most vegetables and fruits are
blanched prior to further processing
operations, such as canning, freezing
or dehydration.

Blanching is a mild heat treatment, but is not a method of

preservation. It is a pretreatment usually performed
between preparation and subsequent processing.
Blanching consists of heating the food rapidly to a
predetermined temperature, holding for a specified time, the
either cooling rapidly or passing immediately to the next
processing stage.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 17

 PURPOSES OF BLANCHING
To inactivate enzymes which would otherwise lead to quality reduction
in the processed product.

To remove of gases from plant tissues, especially intercellular gas. It is

useful prior to canning where blanching helps achieve vacuum in the
containers, preventing expansion of air during processing. In addition
removing oxygen is useful in avoiding oxidation of the product and
corrosion of the can. Removal of gases, along with the removal of surface
dust, has a further effect in brightening the colour of some products
especially, green vegetables.

Shrinking and softening of tissue is further consequence of blanching. It

may be possible to reduce the tinplate requirement in canning industry.

Blanching acts as a final cleaning and decontamination process. Very

significant reduction in microorganism content can be achieved .

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 18

 SULPHITING OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) or inorganic sulphites (SO32-) may be added to foods:
 to control enzymatic and nonenzymatic browning, to control microbial
growth, or as bleaching or reducing agents or antioxidants.

 The main applications are preserving or preventing discolouration of fruit

and vegetables.
 The following sulphiting agents are permitted by European law:
sulphur dioxide, sodium sulphite, sodium hydrogen sulphite,
sodium metabisulphite, potassium metabisulphite, calcium
sulphite, calcium hydrogen sulphite and potassium hydrogen
sulphite.
However, sulphites have some disadvantages, notably dangerous side
effects for asthmatics; and their use has been partly restricted by the US
Food and Drug Administration.
16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 19
 SULPHITING OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
 Sulphites may be used to inhibit and control microorganisms in fresh fruit
and fruits used in the manufacture of jam, juice or wine.

 To inhibit both enzymatic and nonenzymatic browning. Sulphites bind

reducing sugars, which are necessary for nonenzymatic browning, and
inhibit oxidative enzymes including polyphenoloxidase, which are
responsible for enzymatic browning. Therefore, sulphite treatments can
be used to preserve the colour of dehydrated fruits and vegetables. For
example, sundried apricots may be treated with gaseous SO2 to retain
their natural colour (the product containing 2500–3000 ppm of SO2).
Sulphiting has commonly been used to prevent enzymatic browning of
many fruits and vegetables, including peeled or sliced apple and potato,
mushrooms for processing, grapes and salad vegetables.

16.11.2020 UNIT OPERATIONS 1 2020-2021 20