Modelling the operator know-how to control sensory quality in traditional processes
Modélisation du savoir-faire de l'opérateur pour contrôler la qualité sensorielle dans les procédés traditionnels
Résumé
In the food industry, properties of the end-products have to be controlled since the early stages of the manufacturing. Many production processes rely to a great extent on the skill and experience of the operators for managing these properties at the manufacturing stage. They cooperate with automation to: (1) make on-line evaluations of the properties of the product, and/or (2) adjust the process variables to ensure a smooth running of the process and respect of the quality requirements. Integrating operator and expert skill in a control framework is thus a relevant direction, particularly for traditional processes. Indeed, traditional foods are characterized by a traditional image in relation to typical sensory properties giving identity to the product and in relation to traditional manufacturing practices. Moreover, traditional foods are generally manufactured in small or very small factories which are often characterised by a lack of sensors or means to control quality but by the presence of highly-experienced operators. The paper presents the methodological guideline we have developed to manage the expert-operator knowledge for controlling the sensory quality of food products. It is built on about ten applications of control in food industry (baking, drying, mixing, ). Among them, we have chosen to describe 2 applications particularly illustrative : the control of a process of sausage drying and the control of a process of sponge fingers batter aeration.