INVESTIGATION OF THE PROCESS OF BEE POLLEN COMMINUTION

The quality of modern food products may be improved by adding bee pollen (PB) to the composition. The important stage of the process of improvement of an existent product or creation of new one is the optimization of the technology of bee pollen preparation, especially, comminution. The aim of the researches was to investigate the process of comminution and to optimize technological parameters for receiving high quality powder, used as a component of sour-milk beverages and other products. The study elucidates the influence of a series of factors on the size of particles and quality of bee pollen powder by technological and phytochemical properties. Using the visual method with modern optimal devices, it was established, that pollen can be comminuted to the particles size 120–8 mcm. The dispersity degree of received powder caused changes of the phytochemical activity and technological parameters of a product. The method of colorimetry determined that the content of flavonoids in pollen increases by 53 % at communiting to particle sizes 15±5 mcm and decreases at the higher dispersity.The screen method determined the homogeneity of the material, processed by three types of comminutors and substantiated the use of a mill-pestle in the technology of bee pollen comminution as the most effective comminutor.Using the plan of the complete factor experiment of the third kind, there were studied the surfaces of a response of the dependence of pollen powder homogeneity on the comminutor work intensity, mass and term of the material processing. Technological parameters of pollen comminution by a mill-pestle were optimized: working body speed 70–80 turn/min (min−1), processing duration – 6 min, batch mass – 150 g

Optimization of Technology for Shredding the Bee Pollen

We conducted optimization of the technology for shredding bee pollen based on the results of evaluation of technological and physical-chemical indicators in order to obtain powder of high quality.It was established by the results of performed studies that by using modern types of shredders, it is possible to shred bee pollen to particles the size of 12‒8 µm. We identified influence of the powder dispersity on the phytochemical activity of bee pollen based on the results of determining a content of flavonoids. The amount of flavonoids in the pollen increases in the case of shredding to particles the size of 15±5 µm, and decreases at dispersity ≤10 µm. We recommend shredding the bee pollen to particles the size of 15±5 µm. Based on the results of estimating the dispersity and homogeneity of the finished product, it was substantiated to apply a mill-mortar in the technology of shredding bee pollen. We optimized technological parameters of shredding bee pollen in a mill-mortar: speed of the working body is 70‒80 rpm (min−1), duration of treatment is 6 minutes, weight of the batch is 150 g.The obtained results could prove useful when manufacturing new, or improving already existing, food products of high quality, or when applying in pharmacology and biotechnolog