Theoretical and practical study on long-term storage with keeping high quality of grain and agricultural foods

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Agricultural environmental engineering/Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: Koide Shoji 岩手大学, 農学部, 教授 (70292175)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 折笠 貴寛 岩手大学, 農学部, 准教授 (30466007)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 長期保存 / 水分活性 / ガラス転移温度 / 品質 / 生菌数 / LCA / 穀物・農産物 / 農産食品

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purposes of this study were to measure the water activity (aw) and glass transition temperature (Tg) of grain and agricultural foods, to obtain the quality and physicochemical evaluation during long-term storage, and to assess the environmental burden and cost evaluation by using life cycle assessment (LCA) method.
Results indicated that the quality, microbial populations, and storagibility of grain and agricultural foods during long-term storage were capable to evaluate by using two-index: water activity and glass transition temperature. Furthermore, it was found that storage method, quality preservation, and packaging method were important parameters for environmental burden of agricultural products.
This study will contribute the systemization of long-term storage with keeping high quality of grain and agricultural foods.

Free Research Field

ポストハーベスト工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、穀物・農産食品の水分活性およびガラス転移温度を、穀物・農産食品の高品質長期保存の指標として用いることで、品質変化、生菌数変化、保存性の評価が可能となることを実際の保存試験の結果から実証したものである。これは農産物保存における品質保持に大きな役割を示すものである。加えて、ポストハーベスト手段を講じても長期保存における環境負荷の増加に与える影響が僅かであることをLCA手法より明らかにした。
以上は、穀物・農産食品の高品質超長期保存方法の確立に向けて大きく前進するものであり、農林水産物・食品の輸出促進等による需要の拡大に関して戦略的に応じることが可能となる。