Development of low-cost soybean blanching unit using wood chips as fuel

Abstract

Soybean can be made easily digestible and fit for human consumption by application of the wet-heat treatment process. A simple low-cost blanching unit has been developed to process 20 kg of split soybean per batch. The cost of the unit is about US$106; its operation cost is about $0.02 per kg processed soybean. Thermal efficiency of the unit obtained was 31.18%. Locally available agricultural waste could be used as fuel. Due to its simple design and simplicity in operation, the unit could be used for wet-heat treatment required in processing a variety of food crops.