Investigation on sugar beet impurities in Iran

Some organic and mineral components of the sugar beet roots are molassgenic and reducing the internal quality of sugar beet. Potassium, sodium and amino nitrogen are the main impurities affecting molass sugar. In present study, 913 brei samples of five varity trials were conducted in four main research stations at karaj, Mashhad, Shiraz and Miandoab in 2002 were selected as a statistical population. In each sample, the sugar content and the concentrations of potassium, sodium and amino nitrogen were determined by the standard methods in the sugar technology lab, in Sugar Beet Seed Institute at karaj. The data are subjected to statistical analysis and for each variable, the mean, standard devision, frequency table and histogram were calculated. The variations range of potasium, sodium and amino nitrogen were compared with the acceptable range of variations in the Reinefeld formula. The results showed that there was negative correlation between sugar content and sodium concentration. The mean sugar content in karaj, Mashhad, Shiraz and Miandoab were 17.10, 15.94, 11.08 and 18.57 respectively. However, the concentrations of sodium in these locations were 2.41, 3.06, 6.90 and 2.30 mmol per 100 g beet respectively. From the comparison point of view, the concentration of sodium in our study with the acceptable range of sodium in the Reinefeld formula (the range between 0.35 to 5.48 mmol per 100 g beet) showed that 3% of Mashad, 83.6% of Shiraz and 1.7% of Miandoab samples are over stimate. In occlusion, prediction of molass sugar in each brei sample of sugar beet based on the concentrations of measured impurities in brei, it is necessary to check out the variation range of each impurity with the acceptable variation range of that impurity in the Reinefeld formula. Thus, if the concentration of at least one impurity on brei sample is out of range, predicted molass sugar for that sample will be incorrect. In this case, calculation of white sugar content and also white sugar yield will be incorrect and should be avoided.