Metodologie di controllo dei flussi materiali in un centro di cottura

Catering includes particular features, which require different studying and operating approaches from any other food-producing organization. In this research some methods were investigated, which can he used to set up material balances in a catering centre as a tool to predict and control production. Experiments were carried out at a Catering Centre for schools. The selected dish was "pasta in bianco" (plain spaghetti with a little oil) as a basis lor the production of "pasta al pomodoro" (pasta with tomato sauce). During processing, both direct (i.e. in the case of on line detections of process parameters) and indirect (in the case of parameter detections, which had been predicted by either phenomenological assumptions or simple mathematical models on process management) mass measurements were performed. Experiments resulted in the implementation, application and validation of material balances along the production line for the studied "dish". Finally, the relevant operating protocol for material balance control was prepared.