Aratiles-chap-1-3 r3w3

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction Medicinal plants are sources of important therapeutic aid for alleviating human ailments. Approximately 80% of the people in the developing countries all over the world depend on traditional medicine for their primary health care. Interestingly, approximately 85% of traditional medicine involves the use of plant extracts. With increasing awareness of health hazards and toxicities associated with unsystematic use of synthetic drugs and antibiotics, interest in the use of plants and plant-based drugs has revived throughout the world. One of the plants that have gained a medicinal plant status is Muntingia calabura (Aratiles). The emergences of various types of diseases, infectious or non-infectious, nowadays have become a major global burden. Various pharmaceutical drugs have been developed and prescribed to patients to help cure those diseases. Unfortunately, conventional drugs have also been known to cause phenomenon such as tolerance and dependence while the appearance of antibiotic-resistance bacteria. Due to these problems, patients have been looking for other alternative to treat or prevent their diseases. Fortunately, as technology advances, food processing has made it possible to store products which will usually rot. This opened a lot of possibilities for importation of products across wide distances. While primitive methods of 1

food processing is still being used like drying, methods prove to be more effective, as it changes the form of the raw product into something more creative, like candies, which do not only appeal our taste buds but also offers a healthier ingredient like the fruit Aratiles which brings lots of benefits on human health. Aratiles fruits are abundant in the Philippines, usually in round shape; approximately 1-1.25 cm wide, with red or yellow, thin, smooth, tender skin and light brown, soft, juicy pulp, with very sweet, musky, cherry like flavor and filled with exceedingly tiny, yellowish seeds. Its fruit can easily be made into sauce of jam. Aratiles fruits are picked, washed and blended. The prepared fruit is then cooked for quite a long time, molded, and cooled.With this in mind, processing this fruit into candies can help introduce brand new local delicacy In line with the University’s “Boost our Fruits: Establishment of Fruit Processing enterprises in Batangas”, which aims to give value to our local fruits like indian mango, tamarind and aratiles, the researcher decides to design and develop an aratiles candy making machine to provide more efficiency and consistency to the production of candies as well as to promote an organic lifestyle by patronizing locally available medicinal fruits. Mechanizing the manual process will improve the quality and production rate of these products and shorten the production time, which usually takes 1.5-2 hours.

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Background of the Study Aratiles is a fast-growing tree, 7.5 to 12 meters high, with spreading branches. Leaves are hairy, sticky, alternate, distichous, oblong-ovate to broadly oblong-lanceolate, 8 to 13 centimeters long, with toothed margins, pointed apex and inequilaterally base, one side rounded and the other acute. Flowers are about 2 centimeters in diameter, white, extra-axillary, solitary or in pairs. Sepals are 5, green, reflexed, lanceolate, about 1 centimeter long. Petals are white, obovate, 1 centimeter long, deciduous and spreading. Fruit is a berry, rounded, about 1.5 centimeter in diameter, red on ripening, smooth, fleshy, sweet and many seeded. Objectives of Study The general focus of the study is developing a food processing equipment. The study focuses mainly on the design and development of an aratiles candy making machine. Specifically, it aims to: 1. Design an Aratiles candy making machine. 2. Fabricate an Aratiles candy making machine considering the following: 2.1 System components 2.2 Material Specifications 3. Conduct preliminary testing to establish the following specification 3.1 Operating Time 3.2 Operating Temperature 3.3 Mixing Speed

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4. Conduct performance testing to the following parameters 4.1 Percent Yield 4.2 Production Rate 4.3 Quality of Product 4.3.1 Color 4.3.2 Mixture Consistency 4.3.3 Taste (pH) 4.3.4 Texture 5. Evaluate the following parameters to ensure food safety through laboratory tests. 5.1 E-coli 5.2 Metal Content 5.3 Salmonella 6. Conduct cost-benefit analysis to ensure a profitable business model 7. Develop an operation manual for the fabricated Aratiles candy making machine.

Significance of study This study focused on the design and development of an aratiles mixing ang cooking machine for candy production. The local and national government can benefit from the development of machinery because of the potential increase in income from our local fruits, contributing to the economy of Batangas, as well as the Philippines. 4

The medical value of aratiles candy will be known and its benefits on human health preventing different forms of diseases and illnesses. To the entire Mechanical Engineering Department, this provided the faculty an idea of ing on parallel research to their students for further application of principles of machine fundamentals and machine design as well. To the researcher, the study provided significant knowledge through exposure and experiences that applies the theories and principles in their field of expertise. Lastly, to the students and other future researchers that will conduct the same studies, this may serve useful reference and basis of their own study.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study The study was primarily concerned with the design and development of an aratiles candy making machine for aratiles candy production. The study encomed fabrication of the machine considering the system components and material specification. The study will comprise the design parameters such as the dimension and operation of the prototype. The study also will also include the laboratory testing of the aratiles candy mixture to ensure food safety. The ingredients proportioned include 6kg blended aratiles and 400 grams organic honey to retain its health benefits. The process comprised mixing,

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cooking, molding and cooling of aratiles candies. This study does not include the blending of aratilis and packaging of molded candies.

Conceptual Framework The study covers the design and development of an aratiles candy making machine. The study includes discussion about aratiles itself, the process of aratiles candy production, past studies, medicinal value, health benefits and existing machines for this purpose. This study shall be knowledgeable about the machine shop principles and theories. For the design of the machine Solid Works was

used.

System

components,

dimension,

material

requirement

and

specifications were the parameters to be considered in the design of this machine. Preliminary testing is a must to test the operating time, operating temperature, and mixing speed. Performance testing should follow to test the production rate, quality of product and food safety of the machine. Lastly, the study intends to prepare an operation manual for the fabricated machine.

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Definition of The following are used in the study and defines for further understanding of the study: 

Aratiles - It is the raw ingredient to be used in the study

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Aratiles candy mixture – It is a mixture of 6kg aratiles and 400g organic honey

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Operating Time – It is the time from the aratiles candy mixture to be fed into the machine up to the moment the mixture is fully cooked, molded and cooled. It is expressed in minutes.

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Operating Temperature – It is the best temperature for the cooking of aratiles candy mixture.

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Percent Yield – It is the ratio of the cooked mixture over the feed

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Production Rate – It is the ratio of the output of the machine to the operating time measured in kilograms per minute.

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Mixing speed – The speed at which the screw type mixer rotates to mix the aratiles candy mixture

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Quality of Product – It refers to the physical characteristics of the aratiles candy. In this study, only color, mixture consistency, texture and taste were evaluated.

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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE This chapter presents the conceptual literature, research literature that is considered to be vital in the pursuance of the research study. Conceptual Literature I.

Aratiles

A. Description Muntingia calabura is known throughout the world as ‘Jamaican Cherry’ and in Malaysia, particularly among the Malay, it is known as ‘kerukup siam’. Being the sole species within the genus Muntingia. It is native to southern Mexico, tropical South America, Central America, The Great Antilles, Trinidad, and St. Vincent. It is also widely cultivated in warm areas in India and Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In our country, M. calabura are commonly cultivated as roadside trees.

Figure 2. Aratiles Fruit Source: www.tastylandscape.com

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The fruit is very rich in Vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and iron. Moreover, according to a report, the nutritive value and medicine properties of aratiles fruit per very 100g of the aratiles was reported that contain approximately:

Figure 3. Nutritive Value and Medicine Properties of Aratiles Fruit Source: http://itfnet.org

An earlier study reported that the methanol extract of the fruit possessed potent anti-inflammatory activity. Another study reported that the ethanolic extract of the fruit exhibited an LC50 value of 1.63 µg mL−1 against first instar P.xylostella larvae, while the hexane extract gave an LC50value of 5.5 µg mL−1. Furthermore, the acetone, ethanol, methanol and aqueous extracts of the fruit were found to possess significant antioxidant activities. Steam distillationextraction of the fruit, followed by GC/MS analyses resulted in the identification of

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56 compounds composed of esters (31.4%), alcohols (15.9%), phenolic compounds (11.3%), sesquiterpenoids (10.6%) and furan derivatives (8.3%). The dichloromethane extract of the freeze-dried fruit of M. calabura yielded squalene (1), triglycerides (2), fatty acids (3), and a mixture of β-sitosterol (4a) and stigmasterol (4b).

Figure 4. Chemical structures of squalene (1), triglyceride (2), linoleic acid (3a), αlinolenic acid (3c), β-sitosterol (4a) and stigmasterol (4b) from the fruits of M. calabura Source: idoc-pub.sitiosdesbloqueados.org

Squalene was reported to significantly suppress colonic ACF formation and crypt multiplicity which strengthened the hypothesis that it possesses chemopreventive activity against colon carcinogenesis. It showed cardioprotective effect which is related to inhibition of lipid accumulation by its 11

hypolipidemic properties and/or its antioxidant properties. A recent study reported that tocotrienols, carotenoids, squalene and coenzyme Q10 have anti-proliferative effects on breast cancer cells. The preventive and therapeutic potential of squalene containing compounds on tumor promotion and regression have been reported. Triacylglycerols exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, C. albicans, and T. mentagrophyte. Another study reported that triglycerides showed a direct relationship between toxicity and increasing unsaturation, which in turn correlated with increasing susceptibility to oxidation. Linoleic acid belongs to the omega-6 fatty acids. It was reported to be a strong anticarcinogen in a number of animal models. It reduces risk of colon and breast cancer and lowers cardiovascular disease risk and inflammations. Palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid which was reported as a major constituent of C. ovatum oil showed selective cytotoxicity to human leukemic cells, induced apoptosis in the human leukemic cell line MOLT-4 and exhibited in vivo antitumor activity in mice. β-Sitosterol was reported to exhibit growth inhibitory effects on human breast MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 adenocarcinoma cell. It was shown to be effective for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. It attenuated β-catenin and PCNA expression, as well as quenched radical in-vitro, making it a potential anticancer drug for colon carcinogenesis. It was reported to induce apoptosis 12

mediated by the activation of ERK and the downregulation of Akt in MCA-102 murine fibrosarcoma cells. It can inhibit the expression of NPC1L1 in the enterocytes to reduce intestinal cholesterol uptake. Stigmasterol shows therapeutic efficacy against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma bearing mice while conferring protection against cancer induced altered physiological conditions. It lowers plasma cholesterol levels, inhibits intestinal cholesterol and plant sterol absorption, and suppresses hepatic cholesterol and classic bile acid synthesis in Winstar as well as WKY rats. Other studies reported that stigmasterol showed cytostatic activity against Hep-2and McCoy cells, markedly inhibited tumour promotion in two stage carcinogenesis experiments, exhibited antimutagenic, topical anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoarthritic and antioxidant activities. B. Benefits from the Fruit Itself 1. It has antibacterial properties. One of the big concerns of medicine today is that bacteria of all types are becoming resistant to the antibiotics that medical science produces. We have overused antibiotics to the point that bacteria have mutated, growing stronger and more resistant strains. Kerson Fruit is a natural antibioticthat will fight Staph infections,S. Epidermis,P.Vulgaris, K. Rhizophil, intestinal bacteria, sepsis, diphtheria and other bacteria. Further testing may prove its value in fighting other forms of invaders as well. This is important when we have so many antibiotic resistant bacteria. 2. It is a huge source of Vitamin C. 13

One hundered grams of the berries is equal to 150 mgs of Vitamin C. We already know that this vitamin helps to prevent flu and colds, has strong antioxidants, and even works to improve some types of cardiovascular disease. 3. It provides gout relief. Over the centuries many countries used Kerson Fruit to stop the pain associated with gout. Gout is a painful form of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in your system, usually from consuming too much of certain types of food and too little water. While Kerson Fruit cannot cure gout (it goes away on its own), the berries, eaten 3 times a day in groups of 9-12, will relieve the pain — the worst part of gout. 4. It is great for headache relief. People who suffer severe headaches do so because of blood vessel constriction. Kerson berries relax blood vessels, so that blood can flow normally again. Eating the fruit and drinking tea made of the leaves works great for getting rid of headaches. 5. It is helpful for those with diabetes. Diabetics fight their disease their entire lives. They have to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels and take medication or injections. Kerson Fruit helps to lower blood sugar, and regular consumption can mean less medicine or lower injection doses. As a preventative against diabetes, Kerson Fruit is used regularly in those countries in which it is prevalent. 6. It has strong antioxidant properties.

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Oxidation is a chemical process in your body that releases free radicals. These damaging free radicals form chains and are considered to be culprits in cancer and other diseases. Antioxidants kill free radicals, and Kerson Fruit and leaves is full of them — 24 different flavonoids and phenolic compounds to be exact like that found in green tea… plus saponin compounds. Don’t worry too much about exactly what flavonoids and phenolic compounds are — you just need to know that they are the “good guys.” 7. It contains important nutrients. The fruit itself includes fiber, carbs, protein for strong muscles, calcium and phosphorous for strong bones, iron for anemia, and B-vitamins for vitality and good enhancers. With this type of excellent nutritional benefit, it is no wonder that Kerson Fruit is such a staple in other parts of the world. People eat the fruit raw, make jams and jellies, and use it for baking. Finding Kerson Fruit in the US is a bit challenging. You can, however, buy it online in liquid form or in form of one or a group of supplements, and according to nutritionists, this is just as beneficial as the fruit itself. C. Honey Honey has been used by countless cultures all around the world over the past 2,500 years. While the numerous health benefits of honey have made it an important element of traditional medicines such as Ayurvedic treatments, scientists are also researching the benefits in relation to modern medicine, particularly in the healing of wounds.

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Figure 3. Health Benefits of Honey Source: www.organicfacts.net

II. Methods of Cooking There are many ways to learn. Like in cooking, one of the first ways is to know the right methods of cooking. A. Process of Candy Mixture In cooking, the process starts with picking and choosing the best fruit. A good fruit has a bright red color, and does not have too many brown spots. The amount of fruit to be used is 6 kilograms. There is no need to remove the whole covering of the fruit since it is also edible. The only parts to be removed are those 16

that are damaged and those that have a rotten-like color, then grinding the 6 kilograms Aratiles using a blender. When the finely crushed texture is met, it is ready for cooking putting it in the casserole with 400grams organic honey then mixing it without the presence of heat until it resembles an appearance of a red smoothie. After mixing, it will be put under a high flame for at least 30 minutes. Once the mixture boils the flame should be lowered for the candy mixture to reach the desired consistency. The mixture is constantly mixed throughout the cooking process. After the mixture has cooled down enough, it is molded using an ice tray coated with vegetable oil. B. Other Methods of Cooking 1. Dry-Heat Cooking Method Dry heat cooking is a method that utilizes air or fat. It includes broiling, roasting, grilling, baking, sautéing, pan-frying, and deep-fat frying. Foods cooked using this method had a rich flavor due to caramelizing and browning of foods. It involves high temperature of approximately 300°F or hotter. 2. Combination Cooking Combination cooking involves both dry and moist heat cooking. Braising, stewing and pot-roasting are all combination cooking methods which are excellent for cooking tougher (but often tastier) cuts of meats. These types of cooking methods require long, gentle cooking to turn tougher cuts of meat into those fork-tender dishes that we often refer to as “comfort foods”. 3. Moist-heat Cooking 17

Moist heat cooking refers to various methods for cooking food with, or in, any type of liquid—whether it’s steam, water, stock, wine or something else. It is relative to dry-heat cooking methods, moist heat cooking uses temperatures, anywhere from 140°F on the low end to a maximum of 212°F—which is as hot as water can get. III. Mixer A mixer is an appliance for mixing, folding, beating and whipping food ingredients. They are mainly used to mixed different materials using different types of blades to make a good quality homogeneous mixture. Included are bleeding devices, paste mixing designs for high viscosity products and high shear models for emulsification, particle size reduction and homogenization. Mixers are some of the most machines used in food services. Mixers are used extensively in bakeshops and the cooking and preparation sections. Mixers are used to stir, beat, knead, whip and emulsify. Attachments can be used to operate the mixer motor for chopping, grinding, shredding, dicing and slicing. The mixer is versatile piece of equipment that has a mixing bowl with a motor mounted on the bottom. It is often used just to prepare lettuce for salads, but can be used for variety of purposes. Mixers have clamp-down lids and are either made of transparent material or metal with a slide-back viewing window. Some models are hand operated and others are operated by motor (ranging from 1 to 25hp). A rotating lever on the top can be used to scrape the sides of the bowl to move the food toward the blades.

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IV. Methods of Mixing Mixing is when two or more ingredients are evenly dispersed in one another until they become one product. Each mixing method gives a different texture and character to the baked good. The implements used, such as blades, whisks, spoons, etc., themselves make a difference. A. Mixing Manually The operation is basically done through the use of whisk and a bowl. But sometimes, it was done by using hands especially when it was hard to handle. On the other hand, the residents were using a blender as their mixer to mix the ingredients thoroughly.

B. Mixing Mechanically 1. Disperser-type Mixers Disperser-type mixers generally fall into two categories rotor stator and open-style dispersers. Both rely on high rotational speeds, or more specifically, on high peripheral speeds, with impellers that create high velocity gradients in the liquids and low liquid flow rate.

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Figure 3. Disperser-type Mixers Source: www.storagetankindia.com

2. Static Mixer A static mixer has vanes or obstruction called elements, which are designed to re-direct and divide the flow in a way that crates mixing.

Figure 4. Static Mixer 20

Source. www.westernengineering.co.nz

3. Low Intensity Mixer The purpose is to gently move the material so as to have a homogenous mix. The speed mixing toll will be between 1 to 3 rpm. It is needed in many food and pharmaceutical grade applications to distribute ingredients thoroughly.

Figure 5. Low Intensity Mixer Source. www. rotoworldmag.com

V. Methods of Molding A. Hand Molding Hand molding is a process where bare hands are used to mold the material. This method has an advantage since it requires no cost for purchasing and sustaining a machine but it has more disadvantages. This method fails on

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the cleanliness of the molded product, inconsistency on the shape and size of the product, and low production rate.

Figure 6. Hand Molding Source. www.depositphotos.com

B. Compression Molding Compression molding is a method in which the molding material is first placed in an open molding. Pressure is applied to force the material in with all the areas. Pressure is maintained until the molding material is sure to hold. Compression molding is a high pressure, high volume method suitable for molding difficult, high strength reinforcement. Also, it is one of the low cost molding methods.

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Figure 7. Compression Molding Source. www. albrightsilicone.com

VI. Methods of Cooling When you cook food that will not be served immediately – for example, when food handlers partially prep dishes early to save time when they’re ordered it’s important to get the food out of the temperature danger zone quickly. The temperature danger zone is the range between 41˚F and 135˚F (5˚C and 57˚C). Harmful bacteria grow well in that zone. And within that zone, bacteria grow even faster between 125˚F and 70˚F (52˚C and 21˚C). Food must through this temperature range quickly to reduce this growth.

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VII. Existing Candy Maker Machine CANDY MAKING MACHINE by R. J. SAVAGE & C. E. SCHULTZ. APPLICATIOI FILED AUG. 24, 1914.

Figure 8. Candy Making Machine Source: www.google.com/patents

The primary objectives of this invention are to provide means where by the candy which is being cooked can be quickly lifted away from the fire or flame and moved to a point where the contents will no longer cook, in a very short space of time; and, also, to provide means whereby the kettle and the stirrer-head may be moved simultaneously toward or away from the fire, both the kettle and the stirrer unison and actuated from a single source of power.

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Research Literature Becker, et. al (2010) conducted a study regarding “Candy Making Machine”. This machine relates to candy making machines and has particular reference to a machine for molding or making small pieces of candy generally known as lollipops. The general objective of the invention is to provide a machine of this type which may be readily assembled and taken apart so that it may be used during the different seasons of the year for the formation of various other pieces of candy generally made in the candy factory. The components of the machine include hopper, plunger, body frame, motor, molding cylinder and belt conveyor. They found out that to prevent the finished piece from sticking in the upper roll after it has been molded as it sometimes occurs, a pair of spring forks is provided. These forks are secured at their upper ends to the rear side of the hopper and have their lower ends projected into a pair of circular grooves formed in the periphery of the upper roll. Allegretti, et. al (2013) patented a study entitled “Candy Making Machine”. The invention relates to candy-making machines and has one of its objectives including the provision of simplicity and efficiency in which the candy making materials may be mixed, cooked, cooled and worked without removal therefrom. The components of the machine include body frame, vessel, fluid heating pipe, stirring blade and shallow pan. They found out that the high efficiency of the machine is largely due to the particular shape of the stirring blade. The stirring blade is adapted to rest on the bottom and side walls of the vessel with a portion

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extending upwardly above the side walls sufficiently far to prevent the candy materials from rolling up over the blade. By providing the side walls substantially as indicated in be attained by having vertical side walls for the reason that when the blade wore in use, it would wear away from the vertical side walls.

In a study conducted by Brown, et. al (2011) is a candy making machine comprising a housing, a brushless electric motor having a metallic shaft adapted to rotate during motor energization, means for ing said motor so that said shaft is vertical with a free top portion extending above and beyond the motor, said motor means including an insulating motor mounting plate adjacent the top end of the motor and having an upwardly extending sleeve spaced from but surrounding a substantial portion of the free top portion of the motor shaft, means cooperating with the bottom of said shaft for conducting electric current from a stationary wire to said shaft, an insulating plate secured to rotate with said shaft, said insulating plate having a first downwardly extending flange around a portion of said shaft, a washer of graphite impregnated bronze for said insulating plate disposed around said first flange and having a free face looking toward the motor, said insulating plate having an outer flange extending downwardly therefrom with the washer being between the two flanges, a stationary metallic helical spring concentric with but spacer from the free portion of said shaft, said spring lying within the motor mounting plate sleeve, said spring being ed on the motor mounting plate concentric with but spaced from the shaft, the top end of said spring bearing against the free face of said washer, the bottom of said spring providing a terminal for conducting electric current to the rotating 26

washer, said insulating plate having a bowl-shaped construction for holding a quantity of cane sugar, said bowl-shaped construction including an outwardly curved annular structure having ages therethrough and of material having an electrically insulating heat resistant outer surface so that cane sugar in said whirling construction can work its way outwardly through the ages, an electric heating element disposed at the inside curved portion of said structure for heating said sugar as it es therethrough, means for electrically connecting the ends of said heating element to said shaft and to said washer respectively, and means ed by said housing for collecting sugar ing through the rotating construction.

Synthesis This study aims to design and develop an aratiles candy making machine. The gathered information and ideas from the conceptual and review literature aids the researchers in the acquisition of pertinent knowledge and data to design themachine. Significant facts presented include the properties and nutritive values of aratiles fruits. Ripe aratiles should undergoes several processes before it is converted into candy. The presented research literatures had a similar purpose which is to design a machine for an easy production and utilization of an aratiles fruit. This study unlike the existing studies is to focus only on processes such as mixing, cooking, molding, cutting and cooling. In comparison to those previous studies presented the main difference of our study is that it incorporates heat in the mixing process.

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In the study of Celestial, et al., tannin extract was to be added in the ready-made phenol-formaldehyde resin to produce a tannin-formaldehyde adhesive. In this study, lignin is to be incorporated in the formulation of phenol formaldehyde resin to produce a lignin-phenol-formaldehyde resin. Furthermore, unlike the studies stated above, this study pursued to produce particle board from black liquor. Also, this study determined whether lignin extracted from black liquor which was then hydroxymethylated was able to provide a better set of properties for phenolic resin compared to past studies. Variations of the percentage substitutions was incorporated in order to determine whether which of the percentage substitutions would give the accepted properties

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE This research section presents the summary of the design process, specifically the methods and procedures that was done for the construction of the machine. This includes the research design, development stages and methods of testing. Research Design The study employed engineering design, planning and analysis of information and data gathering for the design of an aratiles candy making machine. The study underwent four development stages in order to attain the objectives of the study including the design stage, fabrication stage, preliminary testing and the final testing stage. 1. Design Stage This stage considered the development of the machine with the parameters set in the study including the selection materials that was used. It involved the essential methods that enable further development of the project. Material selection was taken into considerations in of availability and cost. 2. Fabrication Stage The fabrication and assembly of the machine was done by a machine shop. It was done based on the design requirements and material specifications.

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3. Preliminary Testing After the fabrication of the machine, series of tests were held. The testing included the production time, operating temperature, and operating pressure of the machine. The results of preliminary testing were an essential fragment to determine the efficiency of the machine. When problems were encountered during the test run, necessary adjustments and modification addressing the problems would be done immediately to come up with a better output. 4. Final Performance Testing After the parameters have been set in preliminary testing, final testing of the fabricated aratiles candy making machine was conducted. This included determining the percent yield and production rate. Preparation of Raw Material First, ripe aratiles fruit was chosen making sure the fruits selected do not have any defects and in good condition of approximately 6 kilograms. It should have a bright red color. It was washed thoroughly in running water to remove dirt. The fruit was blended, which then produced a red liquid that resembled a smoothie in consistency. Next, 400 grams of organic honey is added to the mixture before being fed into the cooking pot. It was set to high flame of about 232°C for 30 minutes, then reduced to low flame of about 150°C for the remaining time.

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Methods of Testing A. Preliminary Testing Parameters The preliminary testing was done after the fabrication of the machine. This was done to establish the operating time, operating temperature and mixing speed of the machine. 1. Determining the Operating Time The machine’s operating time was determined by measuring the time from the aratiles candy mixture was fed into the machine until the product was produced. There was supervision from the cooperative in cooking to prevent from producing bad quality product. 2. Determining the Operating Temperature The operating temperature was based on the results of having several trails of operation. The use of a band heater was incorporated in this testing to be able to measure a specific temperature of the mixture. The consistent mixing and appropriate size of the cooking pot ensured equal distribution of heat throughout the cooking process. 3. Determination of Mixing Speed The mixing speed was based on the results of having several traits of operation. The mixing speed was chosen based on the amount of burned product of the tested mixing speed. The mixing speed that yielded the least amount of burned product was selected. 31

B. Performance Testing Parameters 1. Percent Yield Percent yield is defined as the ratio of the cooked mixture over the raw materials. It was computed using the formulas: Percent Yield = (mass of product/ mass of feed) x 100 2. Production rate The production rate was defined as the ratio of machine’s output to the operating time of the machine. The production rate was determined using the formula: Production Rate = (mass of product/operating time) 3. Quality of Product The mixture underwent sensory evaluation to determine whether these parameters are met. 

Color The mixture should exhibit a bright red color. The mixture can burn easily, resulting to a dark brown color, which the researcher tried to avoid. A comparative test can be established between the original product and the researchers’ product to guarantee proper color.

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Mixture Consistency The mixture should be easy to mold while still hot, but should not be too hard once it cools. A good indication is when the mixture is molded in the molder when it is still hot, it should be sticky enough to hold its shape as soon as it cools down. Another method is using a spoon to scoop some of the mixture to test if it still drips. The mixture is near completion when it does not drip from the spoon.

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Taste The candy resembles the taste of cherry. It should have a sweet taste but not too sweet which indicates too much honey.

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Texture A good indicator of good texture is that once molded, the aratiles candy should be smooth. If it is deformed in shape with regards to the fineness of the candy, it has not complied with the desired texture.

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Food Safety The product underwent laboratory examinations to determine the bacterial content of the product in an analytical laboratory.

E. coli and Salmonella E. coli and salmonella are the most common bacteria to exist at contaminated food, and are thus the one tested for. Laboratory tests were used to measure its levels. E. coli content must not exceed 100 CFU/g so that it would be safe for consumption of adults.

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