Evaluating the Impact of Grinding Methods and Frequency on Iron Chip Contamination in Ground Pepper

Pepper is a popular spice used all over the world, and its iron-containing nutritional value is noteworthy. The iron content of pepper can be greatly impacted by the grinding process since grinding equipment can contaminate it. Because iron particles are released into the food due to wear and tear on the grinding plates, studies have shown that older attrition mills, particularly, can increase the iron content. The amount of iron in pepper may change depending on how it is ground. It is still unknown how different grinding frequencies and techniques affect iron concentration. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine how the iron content of ground pepper is affected by different grinding techniques (such as Burr plates, granite plates, grinding stones, and grinders) and frequencies (such as single grinds, double grinds and triple grinds). To examine the relationship between these variables, regression and Xgboost models are used. R-squared, Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) are used as the model comparison performance. The result revealed that the grinding frequency has a significant contribution to the iron content and also, both the grinding method and the frequency (number of grinding times) had a positive and direct association with the iron content of the cayenne pepper. The Xgboost feature importance result revealed that the number of times pepper is ground has a 68.32% contribution to the iron content and the grinding method 31.68%. This study provides valuable insights into the effects of grinding methods and frequency on the nutritional content of pepper, specifically iron concentration. The findings are relevant to food processors, nutritionists, and consumers interested in optimizing the nutritional value of spices. Recommendations for food processors and consumers on how to minimize iron contamination during the grinding process.