Assaying Laboratory
Posted by ASCE (admin) on Friday, 22nd August, 2008 at 4:06 PM
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ABUJA SECURITIES AND COMMODITY EXCHANGE (ASCE) PLC

Introducing ASCE Assaying Laboratory

For Easier and Faster Analysis

ASCE as the first operational Commodity Exchange in the West African sub region was established by the federal government to serve as a veritable vehicle for promoting agricultural produce marketing and reduction in rural poverty through appropriate pricing of farm produce.

The Exchange serves as a one-stop shop for major consumers of agricultural produce because of its array of commodity brokers that have registered as its members. With the Exchange in place, farmers will be saved the trauma of contending with post harvest waste due to market imperfection, in appropriate pricing and lack of storage facilities.

ASCE also has a trading platform where farmers could sell their produce on the spot or forward to major agro commodity consumers and lock in the prices of their produce as a risk mitigating measure.

With the ASCE Policy Auction trading facilities, farmers are now better placed to sell their produce directly to government in the Buyers of Last Resort Programme at remunerative prices.

The Exchange presently trades in agricultural commodity contracts and will sometime within the year commence trading in solid mineral products, financial indices and currencies.?

Commodities bought and sold on the Exchange are assayed before they are permitted to be traded on the floor.? Major agro processors patronizing the Exchange for their inputs trade based on given quality parameters that sellers have to conform to. Most of the physical, chemical and microbiological quality parameters often considered are:

§Moisture Content

§Oil content

§Free Fatty Acid

§?Protein content, Fibre content

§Ash content, Ca, P

§Germinative energy

§PH value, Acid value and iodine value, etc

ASCE ASSAYING LABORATORY

To ascertain the quality of commodities traded on the floor of the Exchange, and as part of its contribution to the millennium development goals (MDGs) in ensuring conformity to quality standards and promoting quality assurance, the Exchange has established an assaying laboratory equipped with the state of art equipment.

The laboratory can handle among others the following chemical and microbiological analysis:

(a)?? ? Moisture content of samples using MB35 Halogen Moisturimeter. This gives accurate moisture content in samples in just 10 minutes. The equipment is reliable and almost error free.

(b) Protein content in samples using Tecator Digestor and Kjeltec distillation units. These units can determine protein content in eight samples simultaneously in less than 2 hours.

c) The lab determines fat and oil content in oil seeds using Soxtec 2045 extraction unit. The equipment if fully digitalized and complete extraction within an hour.

d) Our assaying laboratory determines grain/kernel/grit sizes with the aid of Endecotts Sieve Shaker.

e)??? ASCE assaying laboratory also conducts ash content determination (e.g. acid soluble and acid insoluble ash) in commodity samples using muffle furnace.

f)?The assaying lab is also capable of detecting pesticide residue in grains as well as nitrate, cupper, Iron, Arsenic, mercury, etc in water using Spectrophotometer.

The assaying Laboratory is capable of analyzing more than thirty parameters in water using the C200 multiparameter Photometer.

Also in place is a UV- Visible Spectrophotometer to measure dissolved ions, metals etc.

Microbiological analysis; A comprehensive microbiology can be performed in all products.

The ASCE laboratory is opened to food processors, individuals, corporate organizations, warehouse operators and all those interested in food quality assaying. Our charges are moderate and competitive.

STAFF PROFILE

The Exchange’s assaying laboratory is manned by a team of highly qualified professional staff who have worked in different organizations before joining the ASCE. The team includes:

(i) Mrs. Khadijat Ahmed Abdulaziz; B.Sc; M.Sc (Microbiology)

Mrs. Khadijat .A. Abdulaziz attended the University of Ilorin where she obtained her B.Sc degree in Microbiology in 1989 and Bayero State University for a M.Sc degree also in Microbiology. She is currently undergoing a Ph.D programme in Microbiology at the same University.

Mrs. A. Abdulaziz has at various times worked at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Katsina, Savannah Beverages Limited, Kano and Science and Biotechnology Consultancy and Services Limited before joining the Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange in January, 2007.

ii) Mr. Yari, Markus Zarmai is a holder of Higher National Diploma in Food Science Technology and Post Graduate Diploma in Production Operations Management from the Kaduna Polytechnic

Mr. M.Z. Yari has at various time worked as Quality and Process Control Analyst with the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kaduna, International Beer and Beverages Industries (IBBI), Kaduna, Niyya Flour Mills Limited and? Kachia Food Company Limited before joining the Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange in January, 2007.

Visit us at www.abujacomex.com

Contact us on: 0802 852 7857, 0803 396 6891 

09-6700923

Email ? md@abujacomex.com.

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