Final Recommendations
GS1 Raw Sugar
(Andrew S.C. Harrison, Australia)
1. The method for “The Determination of Insoluble Solids Content in Raw Sugar” be given the status Tentative.
2. Method GS1-20 (2005) “The Determination of Fine Grain in Raw Sugar by the BSES Method” shall be tested in single laboratory validation with the aim to allocate Official status to it during the next ICUMSA Session.
GS2 White Sugar
(Karen Pardoe, UK)
1. Removal of GS2/3-23 from the Methods Book if there is no way to change its status from Tentative; validation is no longer required because performance guidelines have been set within GS2-51.
2. GS2 Referee to update GS2/1/7/9-33 so that it includes details for anhydrous sodium sulphite and readily available high purity sucrose.
Recommended modifications are postponed by ICUMSA Officers decision. It became obvious that the proposed changes would cause a need for further modifications, which could not be done by editor’s action.
3. GS2 Referee to define a collaborative study of the most commonly used methods for the determination of sulphite in white sugar, based on the response of the delegates present at the 30th session.
4. Obtain agreement (as a majority vote) from the delegates present at the 30th session that method GS2/3-40 Part A is the reference method to use for the determination of acid beverage floc potential in white sugar; any alternative methods must therefore consistently produce equivalent results to that obtained by GS2/3-40 Part A in order to be considered a valid measurement of floc potential.
5. Based on the outcome of Recommendation 4 and availability of suitable test materials, the GS2 Referee will continue work on alternative floc methods with the aim of running a collaborative study.
6. GS2 Referee to re-assess method performance data in methods as published against performance of the methods as used by SUPS participants and provide details of any method improvements required as a result of the newer statistical data.
General Subject 3 Speciality sugars
(Andreas G. Degenhardt, Germany)
1. “Specialty Sugars” or “Speciality Sugars”? – The Officers should decide until 31st Session.
The Decision was taken during the 30th Session: “Speciality Sugars”.
2. The Optimized Monier-Williams Method combined with Titration should become an ICUMSA Method with the status “Tentative”.
3. The Optimized Monier-Williams Method combined with Ion Chromatography should become an ICUMSA Method with the status “Tentative”.
General Subject 5 Cane
(Camille Roussel, France)
1. It is recommended to re-write the existing WD-method (GS5/7-1 (2011)) to shorten its content to cane treatment and computation.
2. It is recommended to start a wider collaborative study to compare Berding & Pollock vs Hamna computation and see, which one performs best.
3. Regarding GS5/7-1 and GS5/7-28, polarimeter wavelength is not specified. With the development of NIR polarimetry confusion may occur. It is suggested to specify the polarimeter as proposed in the Appendix 3 and 4.
Recommended modifications are postponed by ICUMSA Officers decision. It became obvious that the proposed changes would cause a need for further modifications, which could not be done by editor’s action.
4. GS5/7-28 “The Determination of Pol (Polarisation), Brix and Fibre in Cane and Bagasse by the Wet Disintegrator Method with Aluminium Chloride” – Tentative: Changes suggested in Appendix 3 should be adopted.
Recommended modifications are postponed by ICUMSA Officers decision. It became obvious that the proposed changes would cause a need for further modifications, which could not be done by editor’s action.
5. Further investigating GS7-31 collaboratively with GS7 to see if it can get “Official” Status.
6. For Method GS4/7/8/5-2 (2002), Sucrose by Gas Chromatography, it is recommended to delete GS5 and GS7 from the method number, as well as all statements on applicability of the method for those two General Subjects.
Recommended modifications are postponed by ICUMSA Officers decision. It became obvious that the proposed changes would cause a need for further modifications, which could not be done by editor’s action.
General Subject 6 Beet
(Dierk Martin, Germany)
1. The method for the determination of glucose in sugar beet by an immobilised enzyme biosensor method should be included into the ICUMSA Method Book with Tentative status.
2. In order to justify Official status the inter-laboratory study should be completed in the next campaign by determination of further samples with different glucose concentrations.
General Subject 8 Beet Sugar Processing
(Jan Maarten de Bruijn, Germany)
1. Further improve, collaboratively test and validate GS8-19 (2009) “The determination of dextran in beet raw juice and thick juice by a modified alcohol haze method – tentative”.
2. Check experiences using the DASA and HPAEC methods for dextran analysis and determine whether it would make sense to develop and standardize either one or both of these methods.
3. Select, collaboratively test and validate a method for the determination of the dextran-hydrolysing activity of (commercial) dextranase products.
General Subject 9 Plantation White Sugar
(Vasudha S. Keskar, India)
1. Considering the feedback from the participating labs, the method “The Determination of Zinc and Cadmium in Plantation White Sugar by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy” should be given official status.
2. Method GS9/1/2/3-8 (2005) shall be investigated further with respect to its applicability to all products and further method details.
3. New method Mercury in Plantation White Sugar by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAAS) Generation with Vapor Generation Accessory (VGA) should be made Tentative based on results of single laboratory validation till international collaborative study.
4. Work on determination of Heavy Metals like Tin and Chromium in Plantation White Sugar should be initiated.
Subject 2 Method Format, Collaborative Testing and Statistical Treatment of Data
(Roger Wood, UK)
1. To ask and encourage members of ICUMSA to post general over-arching information on the ICUMSA Website and to initiate active discussion in the Forum Section of the Website.
Subject 3 Colour, Turbidity and Reflectance Measurement
(Christiane Lakenbrink, Germany)
1. The revised ICUMSA Method GS2-13 as presented during the session should replace the current version in the ICUMSA Method Book.
2. The proposed corrections, amendments and demands for an additional validation study in the framework of the project FV 42029 should be communicated to the PTB.
Subject 4 Physical Methods
(Mathis Kuchejda, Germany)
1. Recommendation of an addendum to SPS-1, 3.1 Definitions:
Alternatively, ICUMSA proposes the following gravimetric method to achieve the same results with greater precision: the “normal sugar solution” is defined as 26.0160 g of pure sucrose weighed in vacuo and dissolved in water at 20.00 °C to a final (vacuo-)mass of 109.7639 g. This corresponds to 26.000 g weighed in air under normal conditions (1013 mbar, 20 °C, 50 % relative humidity) and dissolved in water to a final weight value of 109.6604 g.
and an amendment for SPS-1, 5:
The density of pure sucrose defined herein is 1587.0 kg/m3 according to Emmerich 1991 [2].
2. Recommendation for SPS-1, 7.5 Quartz control plates. (addendum):
… Measurement results obtained using the quartz plate in its final mount shall not vary by more than 0.005 °Z during its full revolution of 360° along its longitudinal axis. Conformity of the plate in its final mount to these specifications has to be certified by the manufacturer.
Subject 5 Chemical Methods
(Maciej Wojtczak, Poland)
1. The Tentative method GS2/3-23 (2005) The Determination of Arsenic in White Sugar by AAS should be removed from Method Book.
2. We should remove from the tentative field of application the method: GS2/1/7/9-33 (2011) The Determination of Sulphite by the Rosaniline Colorimetric Method from the subject GS1.
Recommended modifications are postponed by ICUMSA Officers decision. It became obvious that the proposed changes would cause a need for further modifications, which could not be done by editor’s action.
3. For Method GS4/7/8/5-2 (2002), Sucrose by Gas Chromatography, it is recommended to delete GS5 and GS7 from the method number, as well as all statements on applicability of the method for those two General Subjects.
Recommended modifications are postponed by ICUMSA Officers decision. It became obvious that the proposed changes would cause a need for further modifications, which could not be done by editor’s action.
4. The collaborative study should be organized with the cooperation with the GS 1, GS2, GS3 and GS9 for Determination of Moisture by Karl Fisher Method in different sugars.
5. The status of method GS4/8/1/2/3-18 (2005) The Determination of Total α-Galactosides & Raffinose should be changed from Tentative to Accepted for beet sugars.
6. Further development of dextran analysis methods should be conducted with cooperation with GS8 and ESST and TUL.
7. The Method of determination of the content of non-ionic surfactants should be addopted as Tentative in GS2, GS4 and GS8. The collaborative study of the Method of determination of the content of non-ionic surfactants should be organized in cooperation with GS2, GS4 and GS8.
Subject 6 Microbiological Methods
(Maritta Jacobs, Germany)
1. ICUMSA Method GS2/3-50 (2013) “The Determination of Thermophilic Acidophilic Bacteria (TAB) and Guaiacol producing TAB (GP-TAB) in Sugar Products – Tentative” has been revised because of comments made by Ms Rico in 2012. It has been checked by the microbiological laboratories of different sugar producers using the SUPS Tests Microbiology Rounds. It should now be given Accepted status.
2. Method for “The Determination of α-glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli and α-galactosidase-positive coliform bacteria in Sugar and Sugar Products by the Membrane Filtration Method” has been revised because of comments made by Ms Rico in 2012 and discussion in the microbiologists’ group. It should now be given Tentative status.
3. Method for “The Determination of Osmotolerant Yeasts and Xerotolerant Moulds in Sugar Products by the Membrane Filter Method or the Pour Plate Method” is being checked with SUPS tests and with “naturally infected” sugar. It should be given Tentative status.
4. ICUMSA Method GS2/3-45 (2002) “The Determination of the Slime forming Bacterial Count in Refined Sugar Products by the Pour Plate Method or the Membrane Filter Method – Official” In 2002 the MRS-medium for the specific detection of lactic-acid bacteria was added to the method. The MRS-medium should be removed from the method because it cannot be used for the detection of slime forming bacteria.
Subject 7 Indirect Methods and New Technologies
(Amélia Ferraz, Denmark)
1. The General Guidelines for Validating Indirect Methods of Analysis, as presented in this report, should be accepted.
2. The General Guidelines for Validating Indirect Methods of Analysis should be placed at the front of the ICUMSA Methods Book, along with other general guidelines, so that they are available to all users.
3. (Presidents statement/recommendation)
Clearly the methods, or better still indirect measurement techniques, that conform to the agreed guidelines do not easily, or even at all, fit into the established format used for describing methods in the Methods Book. Therefore, it is recommended that the next phase of this work is to establish how to manage these methods in conjunction with the Referee for S2, Method Format. This may start by researching how other organisations handle such techniques. Once established a proposal will be presented to a future ICUMSA Session for agreement.
Subject 8 Sampling and Sample Preparation
(Roger Wood, UK)
1. To ask delegates to the 30th Session of ICUMSA to discuss the remit and responsibilities for the ICUMSA Subject 8, Sampling and Sample Preparation.