ŻYWNOŚĆ. Nauka. Technologia. Jakość, 2004, 3 (40) Supl., 87  - 97

RADOSŁAW GRUSKA, MACIEJ WOJTCZAK

THE STUDY ON CALCIUM DIFFUSION INTO SUGAR BEET TISSUE

S u m m a r y

Coagulation and adsorption properties of chemical compounds of calcium are commonly used in the sugar industry. The paper presents an analysis of calcium diffusion into live tissue of sugar beetroot and into tissue denatured using the impact of temperature and electric field. A method of atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the calcium diffusion. It was stated that the maximum diffusion of calcium into beetroot tissue was 5-6 mm. Calcium diffusion coefficients into sugar beetroot tissue were calculated and comparatively analysed. The results obtained showed that both the calcium concentration levels and the calcium interactions with pectins played the significant role during the calcium diffusion process. In particular, this statement refers to a tissue being processed by various physical and chemical treatment procedures changing the degree of pectin esterification.

Key words: sugar beet, white sugar, sucrose, atomic absorption spectrometry, calcium diffusion