2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Electrical assessment methods for qualities of processed fruit and vegetables

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	17K15352
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Agricultural environmental engineering/Agricultural information engineering
Research Institution	National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
Principal Investigator	Watanabe Takashi 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 食品研究部門, 研究員 (60760767)
Project Period (FY)	2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
Keywords	電気インピーダンス / テクスチャー / リンゴ / 低温スチーム加熱
Outline of Final Research Achievements	The objective of this study is development of electrical impedance methods to assess the qualities of processed fruit and vegetables. Cole-Cole plot was obtained from the relationships between real and imaginary parts of electrical impedance data in apple tissues. Based on the application theory of cell-tissue based equivalent circuit model analysis, we culclated an electrical parameter, LTO (the length of the coordinate at the top on circular arc of Cole-Cole plot from the origin) as an indicator of electrical resistance values outside the cells. Using the LTO, we monitored the leaking of intracellular fluids to the outside, i.e., cell destructions in apple tissues during heating at 40-80 °C. When the LTO was decreased, mechanical and juiciness properties of apple tissues were also changed. From the results, these property changes during heating may be estimated using electrical impedance methods and the LTO values.
Free Research Field	農業工学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	青果物のおいしさには、咀嚼時のかたさなどの品質が大きく影響する。特に青果物の加工過程においては、それらの品質が大きく変化するため、そのモニタリングが可能となれば、高品質な青果物の加工条件選定に有用である。本研究では、簡易な方法で細胞の破壊を推定できる電気的手法を応用し、細胞破壊が力学特性とジューシネスに影響する結果を示すことで、咀嚼時に感じうる青果物の品質が、電気的に推定できる可能性を示すことができた。電気的手法を用いた、加熱青果物の力学特性、ジューシネスの推定については、これまでに例が少ないため、学術的な新規性が高く、農業工学・食品工学、両分野においてトップクラスの国際誌へ掲載された。