Profession starch extraction operator

Starch extraction operators use equipment to extract starch from raw material such as corn, potatoes, rice, tapioca, wheat, etc.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Starch production processes

  Processes of starch production from tending cleaners to millers, to separators, washing screens, centrifugal separators to starch.

• Variety of starches

  Variety of starches including acid thinned, oxidised, cationic, succinate, and phosphate starches.

Skills

• Secure goods according to work orders

  Fasten bands around stacks or articles, prior to shipment or storage.

• Use filters to dewater starch

  Use filters to wash and dewater starch slurry to prepare it for further processing into starch and dextrins, sweeteners and ethanol.

• Tend sugar refinery equipment

  Control semiautomatic refinery equipment to convert starch into sugars and concentrate sugars to required density.

• Apply HACCP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

• Collect samples for analysis

  Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.

• Disassemble equipment

  Disassembles equipment using hand tools in order to clean equipments and to perform regular operational maintenance.

• Ensure sanitation

  Keep workspaces and equipment free from dirt, infection, and disease by removing waste, trash and providing for appropriate cleaning.

• Neutralise sugar liquors

  Add acids or bases to neutralise converted sugar liquors. Verify the concentration using a pH meter.

• Follow verbal instructions

  Have the ability to follow spoken instructions received from colleagues. Strive to understand and clarify what is being requested.

• Follow written instructions

  Follow written directions in order to perform a task or carry out a step-by-step procedure.

• Stabilise pH of starches

  Stabilise pH of starches by performing pH tests, adding chemicals for the purpose in adequate quantities.

• Keep task records

  Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.

• Tend hoses

  Use hoses to wash centrifuge, caring for the integrity of the machine and minimising waste of water.

• Follow hygienic procedures during food processing

  Ensure a clean working space according to hygienic standards in the food processing industry.

• Administer chemicals to starch production

  Administer different chemicals to the production of starch in order to obtain different kinds of starches for a range of purposes.

• Apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages

  Apply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.

• Carry out checks of production plant equipment

  Carry out checks of the machinery and equipment used in the production plant. Ensure that the machinery is working properly, set machines before usage, and assure continuous operability of the equipment.

• Work in a food processing team

  Collaborate in a team with other food processing professionals in service of the food and beverages industry.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Pump products

  Operate pumping machines according to specific procedures and depending on the kind of product. Ensure correct quantities and adequate feeding for the process.

• Apply GMP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

• Be at ease in unsafe environments

  Be at ease in unsafe environments like being exposed to dust, rotating equipment, hot surfaces, sub-freezing and cold storage areas, noise, wet floors and moving lift equipment.

• Perform cleaning duties

  Perform cleaning duties such as waste removal, vacuuming, emptying bins, and general cleaning of the working area. Cleaning activities should follow health and safety regulations if required.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB