Efficacy of FDA-approved biocides to inhibit microbial degradation of sucrose

During the sugar-manufacturing process, undetermined sucrose loss from microbial activities especially occurs during milling train stage. Hence, good factory hygiene that limits microbial activities will improve sugar recovery. This project evaluated and compared the effectiveness of two types of FDA-approved biocides (P100 and P200) based on both laboratory- and factory-scale trials. Sucrose, glucose, fructose, mannitol, organics acids and polysaccharides contents of juices with and without biocide treatment were used as makers to determine sucrose degradation. Laboratory tests on primary mixed juice (PMJ) and secondary mixed juice (SMJ) from four mills clearly showed that P100 biocide is more effective in inhibiting sucrose degradation in PMJ than P200, while the reverse is true with SMJ. The factory trials at F2 Sugar Mill indicated that dosing P100 in the milling train station reduced the microbial sucrose degradation compared to the control, while at F4 Sugar Mill, the effectiveness of the two biocides could not be distinguished.