In recent years, there has been growing interest in the elimination of undesirable phenomena in the processing of bulk materials. In this study, the relationship between the mechanical properties of caking, as analysed with FTIR structural measurements, and the phenomena connected with fungal growth were investigated in wheat flour and potato starch. The materials were stored in high humidity conditions at room temperature (20 ± 2 o C) in order to rapidly cause caking. The results showed changes in cake strength, for which the maximum force recorded by the sensor during storage was assumed. For the potato starch, the maximum strength occurred on the 8th day of storage and amounted to 29.4 N. From that day, the level of strength in this powder started to decrease, however, an increase in fungal contamination was also observed. Day 8 also marked the beginning of structural changes in the potato starch, which were observed in the FTIR spectra. The results obtained suggest that the strength of the agglomerates correlates with structural changes and fungal contamination. K e y w o r d s: caking, food powders, mechanical properties, fungal spoilage, powder quality

Knowledge on the mechanical properties of granular biomass is important for the design and efficient operation of equipment used for handling, storage, and processing. Their mechanical properties are used as a measure of material quality. In this study, the mechanical properties of granular biomass obtained from pines (sawdust, shavings, long shavings, and pellets) were determined under a moisture content range of 10–50%. The coefficient of sliding friction µ of four construction materials was determined using a 210-mm-diameter direct shear tester (Jenike’s shear box). To measure the shear resistance of the biomass materials (represented as torque T), a prototype vane tester was constructed. The characteristics of shear resistance with respect to time T(t) were determined for material samples under normal pressure p ranging from 5 to 30 kPa and a vane rotation rate of 3 rpm. Measurements were performed for five geometries of the rotor, reflecting typical deformation conditions encountered in the processing of granular biomass. The coefficient of sliding friction was found to be affected by the type of material, moisture content, and normal compressive pressure. Depending on the biomass material, the highest µ, which ranged from 0.50 to 0.62, was obtained for black steel, whereas the lowest µ, which ranged from 0.27 to 0.52, was obtained for aluminum. The lowest coefficient of sliding friction was observed for dry materials and high normal pressure. The torque T was observed to be affected by the rotor shape, material, normal pressure, and moisture content. The parameters presented provide information useful for the design of transport equipment and processing of granular wood biomass.

The objective of the reported project was to produce wood agglomerates from popular East European species to determine their strength and combustion properties. Closed-die pellets were produced from sawdust of six types of wood common on the East European market: pine, willow, oak, poplar, birch, and beech. The properties of pellets, determined by the type of wood, were influenced by the compaction pressure and the moisture content of the sawdust. The highest average pellet density was obtained for oak sawdust, while the lowest density was obtained for poplar pellets. Expansion of pellets after removing from the die was found to be dependent on the wood species, and as expected, on compaction pressure. The pellet expansion increased after 2 h of conditioning in the laboratory and with an increase in moisture content. The highest and the smallest strength were obtained for oak pellets and for birch sawdust, respectively. The strength of the pellets increased by more than 100% with an increase in the compaction pressure from 60 MPa to 120 MPa. The average strength decreased by 65% with increasing moisture content. For all tested materials, drop resistance remained at a high level, acceptable in industrial practice. The highest calorific value of 18.97 MJ/kg was obtained for pine pellets. The highest ash value of 1.52% was obtained for willow pellets and the lowest value of 0.32% for pine pellets.

The presented results are an attempt to identify the changes taking place during a punch test experiment and the development of fungal impurities of powdered food materials over long-term storage at 75% RH. The potato starch and wheat flour market has a large share of the global production of bulk materials. The growing interest in powdered food materials requires additional production expenditure. This is associated with an increase in storage time of the discussed product and providing it with the appropriate conditions. The samples of potato starch and wheat flour were stored in perforated containers in a climatic chamber at 75% humidity and 21 °C for five months and then samples were measured by a punch test in a Lloyd LRX materials testing machine. The graphs obtained in the potato starch punch test differed significantly from wheat flour. The thickening of potato starch was observed in the form of layers, while potato starch was uniformly thickened throughout the experiment. The conditions of 75% humidity and 21 °C can be described as the beginning of the caking process. In potato starch, linear sections were observed, which changed the length of their storage time and, additionally, was correlated with the appearance of fungal contamination. These results may suggest the influence of fungi on the phenomenon of bulk material caking.

Lactococcus lactis bacteria are used as starter cultures in cottage cheese and fermented milk production due to their acidification and contribution in the creation of the characteristic sensory features. The aim of the research was to carry out isolation, genetic identification, and verification of the probiotic properties of selected Lactococcus lactis isolates obtained from Polish fermented cow milk and apply the best strains to produce cottage cheese with good rheological and sensory characteristics. The isolates obtained were identified morphologically, biochemically, and with the use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. After pre-screening two of the tested Lactococcus lactis strains, A13 and A14 were observed to be most tolerant to high NaCl concentrations and bile salts and to acidify milk the most. We confirmed the activity of A13 and A14 against such pathogenic strains as Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica, Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica sv. anatum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. As a potential industrial starter culture with probiotic potential, the selected Lactococcus lactis A13 and A14 strains produced cottage cheese quickly with good sensory (colour, smell, taste, texture) and rheological (viscosity, elasticity) properties.