Clarification of texture deterioration mechanism of frozen vegetables by pioneering nano and micro structural analysis

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H06727
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Agricultural environmental engineering/Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: Imaizumi Teppei 岐阜大学, 応用生物科学部, 助教 (30806352)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ブランチング / 冷凍野菜 / インピーダンス / ペクチン / 軟化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aimed to clarify the texture change mechanism of frozen vegetables by several structural analysis. The tissue condition of processed vegetables could be regarded as quantitative changes such as cell membrane volume, extracellular resistance and intracellular resistance. In addition, water-soluble, chelate-soluble, and diluted alkali-soluble pectins were sequentially extracted from the processed materials, and quantitative analysis of changes in pectin state was attempted by composition analysis and observation with an atomic force microscope. Moreover, in this study, high temperature heating was added to carrot samples that promoted demethylation of pectin by low temperature blanching, and kinetic analysis was performed on the softening tendency at that time. At this time, the softening tendency was different depending on the low temperature blanching conditions, and the contribution from the pectin state was obtained.

Free Research Field

食品工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

冷凍野菜の食感の悪さは多くの消費者が感じており、積極的な購買を妨げている。本研究では冷凍野菜製造工程のうち、特にブランチング工程における構造変化と食感変化の関係性を明らかにし、最適な加工条件構築に向けた知見を得た。また、本研究が対象としているブランチングを含む冷凍加工工程には、調理や他の加工操作と共通する部分も多い。したがって、本研究で得られる知見の多くは、広く食品分野全般に寄与することが出来る。