Development of novel pasteurization technology combining freezing and electric fields

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14726
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 21010:Power engineering-related
• Research Institution: Meijo University
• Principal Investigator: Murakami Yuichi 名城大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (80806498)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 電界殺菌 / 低温保存 / 冷凍殺菌 / 凍結

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to develop a novel pasteurization technique using freezing and electric field, the impacts of applied voltage waveform, freezing conditions, and Electrical properties on the pasteurization of Escherichia coli were investigated. The results showed that the pasteurization of E. coli using freezing and electric field was greatly affected by the electric current flowing through the ice sample. The larger the current value, the higher the sterilization effect using freezing and electric field. The frozen samples were confirmed to remain frozen after the electric field application. From the results of agarose gel electrophoresis, the nucleic acids were leaked from the frozen samples, suggesting that the electric current flowing through the ice samples may damage the cell membranes.

Free Research Field

電力応用

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，大腸菌を含む凍結試料に対して電界を印加することで，冷凍のみよりも高い殺菌効果を得ることができた。この技術は冷凍保存中の食材を非加熱で殺菌することができ，更なる長期保存を可能にする。冷凍電界による殺菌効果が試料に流れる電流値に依存することや，試料成分も殺菌効果に影響を与えることを明らかにした。これらの知見は，非加熱殺菌技術である電界殺菌や冷凍殺菌の科学技術基盤を構築するための一助となり，安心・安全な食生活を送るための食品の加工技術の創出に寄与できる。