Development of Highly Efficient Food Sterilization Technology by Plasma-Based Ion Implantation Using Composite Gases

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05903
• 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: Hiroshima Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kakugawa Koji 広島工業大学, 生命学部, 教授 (60441507)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田中 武 広島工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (10197444)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 応用微生物学 / 食品加工 / 非加熱殺菌 / プラズマ処理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The effect of the different conductivity of the Petri dishes used for fixing samples for PBII treatment on the sterilizing effect was investigated. The results showed that the sterilization effect was higher when conductive stainless steel was used at low applied voltages. On the other hand, at higher applied voltages, the dielectric breakdown occurred even when dielectric glass was used, resulting in no difference in sterilizing effect. Based on these findings and the results of rudimentary simulations, it was confirmed that the use of HHO gas and the stainless steel petri dish, even at a low applied voltage such as -2kV, showed a better sterilizing effect than nitrogen gas or oxygen gas. The PBII treatment was also applied to food materials to show that surface processing is possible.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果の学術的意義は、HHOガスをチャンバー内に導入し、サンプル固定用シャーレとしてステンレスを用いることで、酸素ガスや窒素ガスを用いるよりも印加電圧等を下げた状態、すなわち温和な条件でも効果的に殺菌出来る事を見いだしたことにある。また、サンプル固定用シャーレに誘電体であるガラスを用いたとしても、一定レベル以上の印加電圧を負荷すれば絶縁破壊が起こり、PBII処理が可能であることを見いだした。この結果は、誘電体である食品素材を対象とする場合でも、条件を整える事で、表面加工や殺菌処理が可能であり、PBII処理が食品加工に利用出来る可能性を示すものである。