The application of tracer techniques to the sugar industry is reviewed. This includes the investigation of residence time distribution in clarifiers, evaporators, continuous pans, crystallizers and fluidized bed dryers; the flow split in diffusers and evaporator vessels; leak detection; measurement of entrainment in vacuum pans and determination of system volumes such as cooling water ponds.

Under normal field growth conditions, canola (Brassica napus) seeds produce chloroplasts during early seed development and then catabolize the photosynthetic machinery during seed maturation, producing mature seeds at harvest that are essentially free of chlorophyll (Chl). However, frost exposure early in canola seed development disrupts the normal programming of Chl degradation, resulting in g...

Long chain omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and/or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to suppress growth of most cancer cells. In vivo, alpha linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) can be converted to EPA or DHA. We hypothesized that substituting canola oil (10% ALA) for the corn oil (1% ALA) in the diet of cancer bearing mice would slow tumor growth by increasing n-3 fatty aci...

Production of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO(2)) from canola was studied in the laboratory and in commercial storage. Canola rapidly produced amounts of CO and CO(2) far exceeding those reported for dry cereal grain and dried peas and at levels dangerous to human health. In the laboratory, canola (5.8% m.c.) was stored in sealed flasks at 25, 35 and 45 degrees C for 12 weeks. Level...

Drying is a highly energy-intensive process, accounting for 10–20%of total industrial energy use in most developed countries. The main reason for this is the need to supply the latent heat of evaporation to remove the water or other solvent. There are thus clear incentives to reduce energy use in drying: to conserve finite resources of fossil fuels, to reduce carbon footprint and combat climate...

An automated method for esterifying fatty acids in canola oil samples is presented. Using the Agilent 7696A Sample Prep WorkBench, a side-by-side comparison was undertaken comparing a manual method employing automatic pipettors to a method developed for this automated system. Using the Agilent 7696A Sample Prep WorkBench, preparation of 10 samples resulted in 3% RSD for both an acid-catalyzed a...

Oilseed crops, particularly canola, Brassica napus L., and B. rapa L., are now a major part of the prairie landscape in Canada. A diverse assemblage of arthropods can be found in areas devoted to oilseed crop production, either feeding on a resource provided by the crop, or feeding on other insects that have been attracted to these areas. Some insects prefer to feed on other plants that are gro...

In Sri Lanka, mustard (Brassica juncea) is cultivated as a subsidiary crop for the seeds used as a condiment in cooking. In the Indian sub-continent, however, it is an important oilseed crop used as a source of vegetable oil. Mustard has over 45% erucic acid (C22:1) which is unsuitable nutritionally for human consumption. The Brassica oilseed species, B. napus and B. campestris, were developed ...