Master’s Course Food Science and Food  Technology

Food Procsee Engineering Major field of study:Food Technology←HPicon

Laboratory staff

HAGIWARA, Tomoaki
Professor
Research
topics 

Cleaning and sanitation of food processing equipment

Adsorption and desorption behavior of food component (eg.protein,allergen) and bacteria on solid surface

Recrystallization of ice crystals in frozen foods during storage and distribution
keywords
Cleaning, Sanitation, Cleaning-in-Place, Allergen, ice crystal, recrystallization, Antifreeze protein (AFP), icecream
SHIBATA, MARIO
Assistant Professor
Research
topics 

Non-destructive quantitative monitoring of food constituents for safety and optimization of marine product process by fluorescence fingerprint

Development of high value-added food with rice gel processed by high-speed shear treatment
keywords
Non-destructive measurement, multivariate analysis, chemometrics, high amylose rice, Kansei Engineering

Research content

With the aim of developing efficient processes for producing high-quality and safe food, the Food Process Engineering laboratory conducts research to resolve possible problems in food manufacturing processes from the point of view of engineering, based on chemical and physical principles. Our research themes are as follows:

1:Cleaning of food manufacturing equipment
With the increase in the scale of food manufacturing and the distribution of products to wider areas, accidents in the manufacturing process will influence large areas; for example, a large-scale outbreak of food poisoning may occur. To prevent the occurrence of accidents, including food poisoning and to produce safe food, clean manufacturing environments have to be maintained; therefore, the importance of cleaning devices, machines, and appliances after food manufacturing needs to be recognized anew. While more reliable cleaning is required now than ever before, measures to reduce the amount of water, energy, and detergents used in the present cleaning processes in large quantities are needed from the point of view of environmental preservation. Our laboratory employs various scientific methods to analyze the adhesion behavior of fouling substances, which are targets for cleaning, to the surface of equipment. Based on the results, we develop methods to prevent the adhesion of these substances to the surface, and conduct reviews of cleaning conditions. We are also developing a new washing method that can reduce the amount of water usage.
2:Adhesion to and growth of microorganisms on the surface of equipment
Microorganisms that remain on the surface of equipment along with food-derived substances grow to cause food poisoning and quality deterioration under some conditions. Focusing on bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and spore-forming bacteria, our laboratory conducts analyses of their adhesion properties to the surfaces of various materials and detachment behavior during the washing process, in order to clarify the conditions under which these bacteria tend to remain on the surface of food processing equipment. We are also investigating environmental conditions in which any remaining microorganisms can grow, and are developing a new, readily available sterilizing method.
3:Modeling of processes on the basis of an artificial neural network
Heat sterilization is an essential treatment for processed food manufactured on a large scale and distributed to a wide area. Overheating, however, causes destruction of heat-sensitive nutrients, leading to deterioration of the quality of food. In order to allow sufficient heating to sterilize the food, and at the same time control heating to minimize quality deterioration, the temperature inside the food has to be accurately estimated during heating. Using an artificial neural network, a non-linear modeling technique, our laboratory is conducting research on the predictive modeling of temperature inside food during retort processing to facilitate the production of high-quality, preservable food. In addition, based on a neural network, we are attempting to generate a model of the growth behavior of microorganisms remaining on the surface of equipment.
4:Inhibiting recrystallization of ice in frozen foods
In food stored in a freezer, including frozen foods and ice cream, ice crystals grow spontaneously with time (recrystallization). Growth of small ice crystals in foods causes deterioration of food quality, resulting from inferior food texture and increased drip that originates from intracellular fluid. In order to facilitate longer-term freezing while maintaining high quality, our laboratory is working toward the development of a technique for inhibiting ice recrystallization using antifreeze proteins (AFPs). AFPs are found in creatures living in cold climates, such as in the Arctic Ocean, and can inhibit ice recrystallization. Several AFPs with different molecular structures have been identified so far. The present challenges are to elucidate the correlation between the inhibitory effect and the concentration and/or molecular structure of AFPs, to clarify the inhibition mechanism, and to construct an inexpensive AFP production process.
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