Miller Magazine Issue: 112 April 2019

105 ARTICLE APRIL 2019 is theoretically attainable and the natural desire to obtain results of analyses as quickly as possible. Providing the as- sociated margins of error are recognised and accepted, it is generally suggested that working samples of between 500 and 1000 grains should be used for the determination of common defects such as insect damage, broken grains and discoloured grains. Equivalent minimum working sample we- ights are: Samples of these sizes can be analysed in 10 to 20 minu- tes, depending upon the skill of the inspector and available equipment. Mill Laboratory, Control in The Screens Room, Mill And The Warehouse The laboratory is the focal point of the quality control system, receiving and analyzing samples from all depart- ments. The workload of the laboratory is determined by the size of the mill, the number and types of flour produ- ced, whether production runs are long or short, whether speciality flours are produced and a classification system operating and, naturally, on the equipment available. Fortunately, many of the tests required to check pro- duction, packing and bulk loading samples take a rela- tively short time to complete, e.g. colour grades, water absorption, falling number, chittick tests (% carbon di- oxide) and spot tests.