Dry matter and achievable yield calculator
Work out the yield a product can physically reach from its dry matter, split the water from the real loss, and see how much of your yield variance was the fruit rather than the line.
What comes in
measure it, do not assume it
crown, peel, core, stone, shell
What the process does
so dry matter out is 100 minus this
the solids that survive the process
blanching, glazing, syrup
Where every kilogram went
What happens when the raw material changes
The process below is held exactly as you set it. Only the dry matter at intake moves. This is the table to put in front of anyone who thinks a yield figure is a report card on the line.
The two numbers, and why you need both. Mass yield is product out over intake,
and it moves whenever the fruit moves, so it tells you almost nothing about how well the line ran. Dry
matter recovery is solids out over solids in, and it holds still unless the process changes, so it is
the one to manage on. Report the first because that is what the business buys and sells. Manage on the
second.
Water is not a loss. None of the water removed in this calculation is food
loss and waste. It never left the food supply chain because it was never food. What did leave is the
dry matter you did not recover, expressed at the moisture it was generated at, which is the row marked
in red below.
ASC Food Safety Consultants. Built for the food loss and waste courses at ascfoodsafetytraining.com. Every figure in this tool can be replaced with your own.