Within the framework of the ProStarch 2025: Deep Grain Processing Market Trends conference, a seminar for technologists was held

On April 8, 2025, the conference "ProStarch 2025: Deep Grain Processing Market Trends" was held in Moscow, organized by the Association of value-added grain processing companies. The event gathered over 140 participants from 70 companies from Russia, China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries.

In parallel with the main session, a practical seminar “Improving the efficiency of enterprises for deep processing of plant raw materials” was held at the event, attended by technologists, production line managers, laboratory staff and other representatives of interested companies.

Maxim Mishchenkov, Director of SMART Systems and Technologies LLC, spoke about operational efficiency for deep grain processing enterprises and the application of continuous improvement and lean manufacturing tools, as well as the main types of losses. The main topics of his report were: Lean Production as a tool for continuous improvement; Tools for minimizing production losses; Continuous process improvement; TPM strategy aimed at increasing the reliability of production processes and equipment; Equipment condition monitoring, equipment diagnostics, optimization of maintenance costs; Production systems and digitalization in production management processes. “Up to 95% of all operations are losses. Eliminating losses increases the share of valuable actions, consequently, productivity and process efficiency increase,” Maxim explained. Therefore, lean manufacturing is necessary, which systematically reduces processes and operations that do not add value. Mishchenkov Maxim Viktorovich, Director of SMART Systems and Technologies LLC. The main topics of his report were: Lean Production as a tool for continuous improvement; Tools for minimizing production losses; Continuous process improvement; Maintenance and Repair strategy aimed at increasing the reliability of production processes and equipment; Equipment condition monitoring, equipment diagnostics, optimization of maintenance and repair costs; Production systems and digitalization in production management processes. “Up to 95% of all operations are losses. Eliminating losses increases the share of valuable actions, consequently, productivity and process efficiency increase,” Maxim explained. Therefore, lean production is necessary, which systematically reduces processes and operations that do not add value.

Orlova Valeria Vladimirovna, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor at KubSTU, General Director of Grain Ingredient LLC, raised the topic of modern approaches to increasing protein and starch yields, considering grain characteristics and potential defects. Preparing grain for processing using enzyme grain improvers allows for gentle removal of hulls and pulp during processing without losing valuable components that, with standard methods, end up in bran or waste. This method addresses the cause of losses in production, instead of traditional attempts to recover what was lost at subsequent stages. This reduces production time and energy costs. Technologists from Grain Ingredient LLC conducted a comparative demonstration on corn and wheat, which showed the high efficiency of grain improvers —

starch yield in intermediate milling products increases by 2% from corn and by 0.5% from wheat. Attendees of the report were also able to personally test the innovative technology.

Kuzina Lidia Borisovna, Head of the Starch Modification Technology Laboratory at the All-Russian Research Institute of Starch and Starch-Containing Raw Materials Processing – a branch of the Federal Research Center for Potato named after A.G. Lorch, spoke about promising technologies for modified starches. Existing capacities of enterprises for the production of native and modified starches still cannot meet the demands of all food and technical industries in the Russian Federation. Necessary modifications E 1442, E 1452 are not produced, technologies have not been developed, and technological lines are absent. Expenses for food industry enterprises seeking assistance range from 20 to 40 tons per month for modifications E 1412/E1414/E1422/E1442. Pulp and paper and paint and varnish enterprises note a deficit of cationic and oxidized modified starches (E 1404). Promising products are hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (E 1442) and starch ether with aluminum or sodium salts of octenyl succinic acid – E 1450 and E 1452. Lidia also noted the importance of patenting developments, concluding licenses with partners and contractors, and certifying methods.

Watch the video about how the seminar for technologists went at this link.

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