Food scanner for non-destructive and temporal three-dimensional analysis and visualization of food preparation conditions

Research Project

Project/Area Number	18K05472
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 38050:Food sciences-related
Research Institution	Gunma University
Principal Investigator	TAKAHASHI Rheo 群馬大学, 大学院理工学府, 助教 (30375563)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	平島円三重大学, 教育学部, 教授 (80390003)
Project Period (FY)	2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000) Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000) Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Keywords	食品分析 / 食品 / 屈折率 / 非破壊分析 / 分析
Outline of Final Research Achievements	The aim of this study is try to build a new nondestructive analyzer for food nutrition, that is, the 3D food scanner. Typical nondestructive testing method of food evaluation are using ultrasound, near infrared spectroscopy, mid-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging systems, magnetic resonance imaging, electronic nose, z-nose, biosensors, microwave absorption, and nanoparticles and colloids as sensors. On the other hand, our food scanner is a nondestructive analyzer based on the principle of optical computed tomography. In this study, we demonstrated the 3D distribution of moisture for a wheat rehydratable noodle (Udon).
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	NIR光CTは食品に限らず生体全般に適用可能と考えられ、例えば標識物質を用いずに癌細胞を検出する技術などへの応用が可能で、学術的にも実用的にも極めて重要な基幹技術として期待できる。食品中の成分や状態の分布を非破壊計測することができれば、食の安全・安心を評価する分析機器として活用できるほか、食品の生産・流通・加工・保存・調理・摂食のあらゆるシーンで科学的な活用が可能となる。本研究が開発する食品分析装置は量産化されればX線CTやMRIと比べ1/10～1/100の製造コストで製作可能であり、食品加工業をはじめとして幅広い分野での利用が期待される。