CN107613787B - Fresh food storage device and method - Google Patents
Fresh food storage device and method Download PDFInfo
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- CN107613787B CN107613787B CN201680030555.8A CN201680030555A CN107613787B CN 107613787 B CN107613787 B CN 107613787B CN 201680030555 A CN201680030555 A CN 201680030555A CN 107613787 B CN107613787 B CN 107613787B
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- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 160
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 25
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- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 18
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Images
Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/26—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by irradiation without heating
- A23L3/28—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by irradiation without heating with ultraviolet light
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/34—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with chemicals
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/34—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with chemicals
- A23L3/3409—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
- A23V2002/00—Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
- A23V2200/00—Function of food ingredients
- A23V2200/10—Preserving against microbes
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Nutrition Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Storage Of Fruits Or Vegetables (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
- Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
- Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)
- Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
The invention provides a fresh product storage device and a fresh product storage method. A fresh food storage device according to some embodiments includes: a fresh product storage warehouse for storing fresh products at a temperature higher than a freezing temperature; a temperature adjustment unit capable of adjusting the temperature in the fresh food storage to a temperature higher than a freezing state; an air flow generating unit that forms an air flow in the fresh food storage; an irradiation unit that irradiates the airflow with ultraviolet rays to generate ozone or radicals; and an intermittent irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation unit so as to intermittently irradiate the airflow with the ultraviolet rays.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fresh food storage apparatus and a fresh food storage method for performing sterilization during storage, refrigeration, or thawing of fresh food by using vacuum ultraviolet rays.
Background
The following methods have been conventionally performed to prevent the propagation of mold or bacteria in fresh products: the air is sterilized by irradiating ultraviolet rays with an ultraviolet lamp installed in the refrigerator, or by irradiating the humidifying water with ultraviolet rays with an ultraviolet lamp installed in a water tank or a pipe of the humidifier.
In addition, the following methods were employed: ozone is generated using a plasma type ozone generator, ozone water is dispersed in a refrigerator, or hypochlorous acid is dispersed in a refrigerator to sterilize.
Patent document 1 discloses a sterilization storage device in which stored food is exposed to air containing oxygen ion radicals and moisture generated by irradiation of a photoelectronic material with ultraviolet rays.
Patent document 2 discloses a humidifier that uses an ultraviolet lamp to irradiate humidification water with ultraviolet rays to sterilize the humidification water, or irradiates introduced air with ultraviolet rays to generate ozone, and releases the generated ozone from an air outlet.
Patent document 3 discloses sterilizing food by lighting an ultraviolet lamp in a storage for storing food and circulating cool air in the storage.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2010-193829
Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-155995
Patent document 3: japanese patent laid-open No. 2014-25613
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
In the method of obtaining the sterilization effect of the stored food by using ozone or radicals generated by ultraviolet irradiation, there is a problem that oxidation inhibition occurs in the stored food due to the oxidation action of ozone or radicals.
Patent document 1 describes, for example, in paragraph [0042], that oxidation of stored food caused by ozone is prevented by using an ultraviolet lamp that cuts off ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 240nm or less. However, the method has the following problems: the efficiency of ozone generation is reduced and the amount of ozone generation cannot be accurately controlled.
Means for solving the above problems are not described in patent document 2 and patent document 3.
Further, since an ultraviolet lamp using a mercury lamp is difficult to light at a low temperature of 10 ℃ or lower, it is necessary to light the lamp by temporarily raising the temperature, which makes the operation complicated. The method using the plasma type ozone generator has the following concerns: nitrogen oxide formed by chemical combination of nitrogen and oxygen in the air is generated, and mechanical materials forming the refrigerator or stored vegetables and fruits are damaged; but also has adverse effects on the environment and the operator.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fresh food sterilizing apparatus that can efficiently sterilize the whole fresh food without the risk of damage to the fresh food stored in a storage compartment by ozone or radicals generated by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and can maintain freshness for a long period of time.
Means for solving the problems
(1) A fresh food storage device according to some embodiments includes:
a fresh product storage warehouse for storing fresh products at a temperature higher than a freezing temperature;
a temperature adjustment unit capable of adjusting the temperature in the fresh food storage to a temperature higher than a freezing state;
an air flow generating unit that forms an air flow in the fresh food storage;
an irradiation unit that irradiates the airflow with ultraviolet rays to generate ozone or radicals; and
and an intermittent irradiation control unit configured to control the irradiation unit so as to intermittently irradiate the airflow with the ultraviolet rays.
In the above configuration, the irradiation unit irradiates the airflow with ultraviolet rays, thereby generating radicals such as ozone and OH radicals around the fresh produce. The generated ozone or radicals are diffused with the air flow in the whole area inside the fresh food storage. The diffused ozone or free radicals are used to sterilize the whole area in the storehouse, thereby inhibiting the propagation of microorganisms such as mold and the like, and inhibiting the putrefaction of the stored fresh products. Therefore, the freshness of the fresh products can be kept for a long time.
Further, by intermittently irradiating ultraviolet rays by the intermittent irradiation control section, the concentration control of ozone or radicals generated around the fresh product becomes easy. By controlling the concentration of ozone or radicals generated by intermittent irradiation, not only the sterilization effect of the fresh food can be maintained, but also the inhibition of oxidation of the fresh food covered with ozone or radicals can be suppressed.
Further, since the fresh product is stored at a temperature equal to or higher than the frozen state by the temperature adjustment unit, the formation of ice crystals in the cells of the fresh product can be suppressed. Thus, damage to cell membranes caused by formation of ice crystals can be suppressed, and fresh products can be stored with good freshness.
Further, the fresh food storage container can be used in a freezer, a refrigerator, a heat preservation container, a thawing container, or the like by adjusting the inside of the fresh food storage container to a suitable temperature for fresh food that can be refrigerated, preserved, or thawed by using the temperature adjustment unit.
(2) In some embodiments, in the constitution of (1),
the intermittent irradiation control part is
Intermittently irradiating the fresh food with the ultraviolet ray based on an accumulated concentration obtained by multiplying the time of exposure of the fresh food to the ozone or the radical by the concentration of the ozone or the radical.
The present inventors have found that the degree of oxidation by ozone or radicals, which exerts a sterilizing effect on fresh food, is determined by the cumulative concentration. The time for which the fresh food is exposed to ozone or the radicals may be replaced with the time for which the irradiation part substantially irradiates ultraviolet rays.
The ultraviolet irradiation method includes continuous irradiation and intermittent irradiation, and the continuous irradiation can increase the oxidation effect with a small cumulative concentration, but if the storage period of the fresh product becomes long, the oxidation effect may become too strong and oxidation inhibition may occur on the surface of the fresh product. On the other hand, since the intermittent irradiation can suppress the generation of ozone or radicals, even if the fresh food has a long shelf life, sterilization can be performed without damaging the surface of the fresh food.
According to the configuration of (2), the amount of ozone or radicals generated can be accurately controlled by intermittently irradiating ultraviolet rays based on the cumulative concentration. Therefore, the degree of oxidation of the fresh produce can be accurately adjusted, and the sterilizing effect can be maintained without damaging the surface of the fresh produce.
(3) In some embodiments, in the constitution of (2),
the intermittent irradiation control part is
Intermittently irradiating the ultraviolet ray during storage of the fresh food in the fresh food storage,
the control is performed so that the cumulative concentration around the fresh food is a value between a lower limit value at which the bactericidal effect of the fresh food appears and an upper limit value at which the oxidation inhibition appears on the surface of the fresh food.
According to the configuration of (3), the ultraviolet rays are intermittently irradiated so that the integrated concentration becomes a value between the lower limit value and the upper limit value during the storage period of the fresh food, whereby the sterilization effect can be maintained over the entire period of the storage period without damaging the surface of the fresh food.
(4) In one embodiment, in any of the configurations (1) to (3),
the irradiation section is constituted by an excimer lamp or a rare gas fluorescent lamp which emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a single wavelength of less than 200 nm.
By using the excimer lamp or the rare gas fluorescent lamp, the vacuum ultraviolet rays having a single wavelength of less than 200nm, which are emitted from the lamp and strongly absorbed by oxygen in the air, are irradiated to the air, and ozone or radicals can be efficiently generated from the oxygen in the air. On the other hand, the vacuum ultraviolet rays of the wavelength are not absorbed by N in the air2Absorb without converting N2Separate, therefore NO NO is producedX. Therefore, there is no damage to the mechanical material or the housing constituting the storage space of the fresh food storageThe concern of the fresh products to be stored.
Further, the excimer lamp or the rare gas fluorescent lamp which emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm has little dependence on temperature and humidity, and can be rapidly turned on not only in a low temperature range of 5 ℃ or less which is a storage temperature of agricultural products, but also in a high humidity environment to efficiently generate ozone or radicals, and therefore, when a fresh product storage is used as a thawing storage, a high humidity storage space can be rapidly sterilized.
In addition, the power supply is quickly turned on to generate ozone or radicals, and the power supply is stopped and the generation of ozone or radicals is stopped, so that the concentration of ozone or radicals can be easily controlled.
(5) In one embodiment, in any of the configurations (1) to (4),
the temperature adjusting part is
The heating part is configured to be a temperature region capable of heating the fresh food to a temperature below the freezing point of the protein.
According to the configuration of (5), the fresh food in the fresh food storage compartment is heated by the temperature adjustment unit to a temperature range of not more than the freezing point of protein (for example, 72 ℃), whereby the fresh food storage compartment can be effectively used as a thawing compartment. Further, if the upper limit of the temperature for heating is set to the protein freezing point or less, there is no concern that the fresh food f may be deteriorated.
(6) In one embodiment, in any of the configurations (1) to (4),
the temperature adjusting part is
The fresh food can be stored in a refrigerated state or a frozen state.
Here, the term "refrigerated state" means a state in which the temperature is maintained at 2 ℃ and 3 to 10 ℃, and the term "frozen state" means a state in which the temperature is maintained at-2 ℃ and-3 to 5 ℃.
According to the constitution of the above item (6), the fresh food storage can be effectively used as a refrigerator or a heat preservation storage by storing the fresh food in a refrigerated state or a frozen state.
(7) In one embodiment, in any of the configurations (1) to (6),
further comprising a humidifying part for humidifying the air flow around the fresh food.
In the case where the fresh food is, for example, edible meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, if they are stored in a low-temperature state, they may be dried and deteriorated, and therefore, by providing the humidification portion, the drying of the stored fresh food can be suppressed.
Further, as an embodiment, even when a fresh food is frozen using a continuous freezing device such as a freezer, by installing the continuous freezing device in a sterilized environment in a fresh food storage room, contamination of mechanical materials due to fresh food residues can be prevented after the operation of the freezer is completed.
(8) A storage method according to some embodiments includes:
a fresh product storage step of storing the fresh product in a storage at a temperature higher than a freezing temperature;
an air flow forming step of forming an air flow around the fresh produce; and
and an ultraviolet irradiation step of intermittently irradiating the air flow with ultraviolet rays to generate ozone or radicals, and diffusing the ozone or radicals in the entire region of the storage along with the air flow.
In the ultraviolet irradiation step, the airflow is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in the storage, thereby generating radicals such as ozone and OH radicals around the fresh food, and the generated ozone and radicals are diffused in the entire area of the fresh food storage along with the airflow. The diffused ozone or free radicals sterilize the entire area of the storage, inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as mold, and inhibit the putrefaction of the fresh products stored therein. Therefore, the freshness of the fresh products can be kept for a long time.
In addition, in the ultraviolet irradiation step, by intermittently irradiating ultraviolet rays, the concentration control of ozone or radicals generated around the fresh product becomes easy. By controlling the concentration of ozone or radicals generated by intermittent irradiation, not only the sterilization effect of the fresh food can be maintained, but also the inhibition of oxidation of the fresh food covered with ozone or radicals can be suppressed.
In addition, in the fresh product storage step, the fresh product is stored at a temperature equal to or higher than the frozen state, so that formation of ice crystals in the cells of the fresh product can be suppressed, and thus, damage to the cell membrane due to formation of ice crystals can be suppressed, and the fresh product can be stored with good freshness.
(9) In one embodiment, in the method of (8),
the ultraviolet irradiation step is
Intermittently irradiating the ultraviolet ray based on an integrated concentration obtained by a product of the irradiation time of the ultraviolet ray and the concentration of the ozone or the radical.
According to the method of (9), by intermittently irradiating ultraviolet rays based on the cumulative concentration, the amount of ozone or radicals generated from the fresh produce can be controlled to an appropriate amount that can maintain the sterilizing effect without damaging the surface of the fresh produce.
(10) In one embodiment, in the method of (9),
the ultraviolet irradiation step is
The ultraviolet rays are continuously irradiated in the fresh food storage step, and the cumulative concentration around the fresh food is controlled so as to be a value between a lower limit value at which the bactericidal effect of the fresh food appears and an upper limit value at which oxidation inhibition appears on the surface of the fresh food.
According to the method (10), the ultraviolet rays are intermittently irradiated so that the integrated concentration becomes a value between the lower limit value and the upper limit value, whereby the sterilization effect can be maintained over the entire storage period without damaging the surface of the fresh food.
(11) In one embodiment, in any of the methods (8) to (10),
the ultraviolet rays are vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength region of less than 200 nm.
According to whatThe method (11) above, wherein ozone or radicals can be efficiently generated by irradiating air with vacuum ultraviolet rays having a single wavelength of less than 200nm, which are strongly absorbed by oxygen in the air. On the other hand, the vacuum ultraviolet rays of the wavelength are not absorbed by N in the air2Absorb without converting N2Separate, therefore NO NO is producedX. Therefore, there is no fear that the mechanical material constituting the storage space of the fresh food storage and the fresh food stored are damaged.
The fresh food stored in the storage may be, for example, uncooked vegetables, fruits, meats, and fishes after harvesting, or cut pieces obtained by at least partially cutting them. The dices having cut surfaces (cuts) are particularly susceptible to oxidation inhibition by ozone or radicals.
According to the embodiments, these fresh foods are not inhibited by oxidation due to ozone or radicals, and can be stored for a long period of time while maintaining their freshness.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
According to the present invention, the whole of the stored fresh produce can be efficiently sterilized, whereby not only the growth of microorganisms can be suppressed to suppress the putrefaction of the fresh produce, and the freshness of the fresh produce can be maintained for a long period of time, but also the occurrence of oxidation inhibition on the surface of the fresh produce can be suppressed.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a storage apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a storage apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a storage apparatus according to an embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a control system of a storage apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the storage period of fresh food and the appropriate cumulative concentration.
FIG. 7 is a step diagram of a storage method according to an embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a discharge lamp according to an embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a graph showing gas chromatography of ozone gas generated by ultraviolet irradiation.
Fig. 10 is a graph showing changes in the ozone concentration of ozone gas generated by ultraviolet irradiation.
Fig. 11(a) is an external view showing the appearance of cabbage after the sterilization test before harvesting, and fig. 11(B) and 11(C) are external views showing the appearance of cabbage after oxidation inhibition after the sterilization test.
[ description of symbols ]
10(10A, 10B, 10C, 10D): storage device
12: fresh product storage
14: temperature adjusting part
16: air flow generating part
18: irradiation part
20: intermittent irradiation control unit
22: humidification part
24: outer casing
26: heating device
28: refrigerating machine
30: heat exchanger
32: water storage tank
34: water spraying device
35: discharge lamp with a discharge lamp
36: discharge lamp light source
38: fan with cooling device
40: ultraviolet irradiation window
42: cage
44: continuous conveying type refrigeration house
46: conveying belt
48: ozone concentration sensor
a: air flow
b: air flow path
f: fresh product
o: inhibition of oxidation
w: water for humidification
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the constituent components described as the embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these, and are merely illustrative examples.
For example, a term "in a certain direction", "along a certain direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "central", "concentric" or "coaxial" or the like indicates a relative or absolute arrangement, and indicates not only an arrangement strictly as described above but also a state of being relatively displaced with a tolerance or an angle or a distance to the extent that the same function is obtained.
For example, expressions such as "identical", "equal", and "homogeneous" indicating states in which objects are equal mean not only states in which the objects are strictly equal but also states in which a tolerance or a difference in degree of obtaining the same function is present.
For example, the expression "square shape" or "cylindrical shape" means not only a shape having a geometrically strict square shape or a cylindrical shape but also a shape including a concave and convex portion or a chamfered portion within a range in which the same effect is obtained.
On the other hand, the expression "including", "having", "provided with", "including", or "having" one constituent element is not an exclusive expression excluding the presence of other constituent elements.
As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the fresh food storage apparatus 10(10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) according to some embodiments includes a fresh food storage 12, and the fresh food f is stored in the fresh food storage 12 at a temperature equal to or higher than a frozen state. The fresh food storage container 12 is provided therein with a temperature adjustment unit 14 for maintaining the temperature in the container at a temperature equal to or higher than the freezing temperature, and an air flow generation unit 16 for generating an air flow a in the container.
An irradiation unit 18 for irradiating ultraviolet rays is provided in the chamber, and the air flow a is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 18. As shown in fig. 5, the irradiation unit 18 includes an intermittent irradiation control unit 20. The irradiation unit 18 is controlled by the intermittent irradiation control unit 20 to intermittently irradiate ultraviolet rays.
In the above configuration, the irradiation unit 18 irradiates the air flow a with ultraviolet rays, thereby generating radicals such as ozone and OH radicals around the fresh food f. The generated ozone or radicals (hereinafter also referred to as "ozone or the like") are diffused in the entire area inside the fresh food storage 12 by the air flow a. The entire area in the storehouse is sterilized by diffused ozone or the like, and the propagation of microorganisms such as mold or the like is suppressed, thereby suppressing the putrefaction of the fresh food stored. Therefore, the freshness of the fresh products can be kept for a long time.
Further, when the irradiation unit 18 intermittently irradiates ultraviolet rays by the intermittent irradiation control unit 20, the concentration control of ozone and the like generated around the fresh product f becomes easy. By controlling the concentration of ozone or the like generated by intermittent irradiation, not only the sterilization effect of the fresh food f can be maintained, but also the inhibition of oxidation of the fresh food f by ozone or the like can be suppressed.
Further, since the fresh food f is kept at a temperature equal to or higher than the frozen state by the temperature adjustment unit 14, the formation of ice crystals in the cells of the fresh food f can be suppressed. This can suppress damage to cell membranes caused by the formation of ice crystals, and can preserve fresh food f with good freshness.
Further, by adjusting the inside of the fresh food storage container 12 to an appropriate temperature of the fresh food f that can be refrigerated, kept warm, or thawed by the temperature adjustment unit 14, the fresh food storage container 12 can be used as a refrigerator, a heat preservation container, a thawing container, or the like.
In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the temperature adjustment unit 14 is an air conditioning unit in which each device is built in the casing 24. The airflow generating unit 16 is constituted by a fan provided inside the casing 24. The irradiation unit 18 is constituted by a lamp unit in which an ultraviolet light source is built.
In some embodiments, the intermittent irradiation control unit 20 controls the irradiation unit 18 to intermittently irradiate ultraviolet rays based on an integrated concentration (hereinafter, also referred to as "CT value") obtained by multiplying the time of exposure of the fresh food f to ozone or the like by the concentration of ozone or the like.
If the concentration of ozone or the like is not controlled, the fresh product f is inhibited by the oxidation action of ozone or the like. For example, damage to agricultural products occurs primarily as discoloration. This is due to necrosis of the cells due to oxidation. The damage varies depending on crops, and leaves and vegetables are easily inhibited by oxidation due to ozone or radicals, while fruits and vegetables are hardly inhibited by oxidation.
The present inventors have found that the degree of oxidation by ozone or the like is determined by the CT value. In other words, the degree of oxidation by ozone or the like is also said to be proportional to the CT value. The time for which the fresh product is exposed to ozone or the like may be replaced with the time for which the irradiation part 18 substantially irradiates ultraviolet rays.
The ultraviolet irradiation method includes continuous irradiation and intermittent irradiation. Continuous irradiation of microorganisms such as mold can improve the sterilization effect with a small CT value. This is because, when microorganisms such as mold are produced due to insufficient sterilization, the microorganisms proliferate during a time period when ozone is not produced during intermittent irradiation. When fresh goods are stored in the fresh goods storage 12, it is necessary to prevent the deterioration of the fresh goods and to prevent the color, taste, and the like from being changed for a desired period of time, and it is necessary to prevent the oxidation inhibition by ozone and the like from being generated.
In the above embodiment, by intermittently irradiating ultraviolet light based on the CT value, the amount of ozone or the like generated can be accurately controlled. Therefore, the degree of oxidation of the fresh produce can be accurately adjusted, and the sterilizing effect can be maintained without damaging the surface of the fresh produce.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 6, the intermittent irradiation control unit 20 adjusts the concentration of ozone or the like between a lower limit value of a CT value at which sterilization can be performed without damaging the surface of the fresh food f during the storage period and an upper limit value of a CT value at which oxidation inhibition occurs on the surface of the fresh food f.
In the case of continuous irradiation, the CT upper limit value may be exceeded even if ozone or the like is at a low concentration during storage. For example, when the fresh produce f is an agricultural product, the agricultural product is required to be stored for a long period of time of 1 month to several months in many cases. Even if the concentration of ozone or the like is 0.1ppm, the CT value exceeds 4320 ppm/min in 30 days, and thus oxidation inhibition of cabbage or lettuce occurs. On the other hand, by performing intermittent irradiation, the CT lower limit value and the CT upper limit value can be unified over the entire region of the storage apparatus.
Thus, the sterilization effect can be maintained without damaging the surface of the fresh food during the whole storage period of the fresh food.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the irradiation unit 18 is composed of an excimer lamp or a rare gas fluorescent lamp that emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a single wavelength of less than 200 nm.
Excimer lamps emit a single wavelength of vacuum ultraviolet radiation of less than 200nm by dielectric barrier discharge. Among excimer lamps, for example, xenon excimer lamps emit vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172nm, and ArF excimer lasers emit vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 193 nm.
Ozone or radicals can be efficiently generated by irradiating air with a single wavelength of vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm, which is emitted from an excimer lamp or a rare gas fluorescent lamp and is strongly absorbed by oxygen in the air. On the other hand, the vacuum ultraviolet rays in the wavelength region are not absorbed by N in the air2Absorb without converting N2Separate, therefore NO NO is producedX. Therefore, there is no fear that the mechanical material constituting the storage space of the fresh food storage 12 or the stored fresh food are damaged.
Further, the excimer lamp or the rare gas fluorescent lamp which emits a single wavelength of vacuum ultraviolet light having a wavelength of less than 200nm does not have a dependency on temperature and humidity, can be quickly lighted in a low temperature range of 5 ℃ or less which is a storage temperature of agricultural products, and can efficiently generate ozone or radicals in a high humidity environment, and therefore, when the fresh product storage 12 is used as a thawing storage, the storage space of high humidity can be quickly sterilized.
Further, since ozone or the like is generated by rapidly lighting up at the same time as the power supply and the generation of ozone or the like is stopped at the same time as the power supply is stopped, it is easy to control the concentration of ozone or the like.
In one embodiment, the temperature adjustment unit 14 is configured as a heating unit capable of heating the fresh food f to a temperature range of not more than the protein freezing point.
According to the above embodiment, the fresh food f stored in the fresh food storage 12 is heated by the temperature adjustment unit 14 to a temperature range of not more than the freezing point (for example, 72 ℃) of the protein, whereby the fresh food storage 12 can be effectively used as a thawing compartment. If the upper limit of the heating temperature is set to a temperature lower than the protein freezing point, there is no concern that the fresh food f will be deteriorated.
In one embodiment, the temperature adjustment unit 14 is configured as a cold air generation unit capable of storing the fresh food f in a refrigerated state or a frozen state.
According to the embodiment, the fresh food f can be stored in a refrigerated state or a frozen state, and the fresh food storage 12 can be effectively used as a refrigerator or a warmer.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the humidifying unit 22 is further provided to humidify the air flow a around the fresh food f.
In the case where the fresh food is, for example, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, or the like, if they are stored in a low-temperature state, they may be dried and deteriorated, and therefore, the drying of the stored fresh food f can be suppressed by providing the humidifying section 22.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the humidifying part 22 includes: a water storage tank 32 disposed at the bottom of the casing 24; and a sprinkler 34 that draws the humidification water w from the water storage tank 32 and spreads the humidification water w in an air flow path b formed inside the casing 24.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the temperature adjustment unit 14 includes, in a casing 24 having an inlet and an outlet for an air flow a: an air flow generating unit 16 configured by a fan; a heater 26 for defrosting and temperature adjustment; and a heat exchanger 30 to which a cooling medium is supplied from a refrigerator 28 installed outside the storage. An air flow path b is formed inside the casing 24, and an air flow a is formed in the air flow path b. The air flow a is heated by the heater 26 or cooled by the heat exchanger 30, whereby the temperature is adjusted.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2, the casing 24 is arranged in the lateral direction, and the air flow a flows in the lateral direction inside the casing 24. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4, the casing 24 is disposed in the longitudinal direction, and the air flow a flows in the longitudinal direction inside the casing 24.
The refrigerator 28 is disposed outside the fresh food storage 12, for example, on the upper wall of the fresh food storage 12 as shown in fig. 1 and 2, or adjacent to the side wall of the fresh food storage 12 as shown in fig. 3 and 4.
In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the irradiation section 18 is constituted by a discharge lamp 35 including a xenon excimer lamp or a rare gas fluorescent lamp. The discharge lamp 35 stores therein, for example: a discharge lamp light source 36 that emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200 nm; and a fan 38 for diffusing ozone and the like generated by the vacuum ultraviolet rays emitted from the discharge lamp light source 36. Further, the configuration of the fan 38 may also be omitted.
In the exemplary embodiment, the discharge lamp 35 is disposed facing the air flow a formed inside the fresh food storage 12, and the discharge lamp 35 has an ultraviolet radiation window 40.
When the vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the discharge lamp light source 36 toward the air flow a, ozone and the like are generated in the air flow a, and the generated ozone and the like are diffused in the entire area in the warehouse along with the air flow a, thereby sterilizing the fresh food f.
The wavelength of the ultraviolet light emitted by the discharge lamp is determined by the discharge gas sealed in the discharge chamber. For example, the discharge gas is 126nm when it is argon (Ar), 146nm when it is krypton (Kr), and 172nm when it is xenon (Xe).
In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 3, the discharge lamp as the irradiation portion 18 is disposed above the fresh food f, and the ultraviolet irradiation window 40 is directed toward the fresh food f through the air flow a.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the discharge lamp 35 is disposed above the continuous transport type refrigerator 44, and the ultraviolet irradiation window 40 is directed toward the continuous transport type refrigerator 44 through the air flow a.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the discharge lamp 35 is disposed at the upper corner of the fresh food f, and the ultraviolet radiation window 40 faces the air flow a.
As described above, since the ultraviolet radiation window 40 is disposed toward the air flow a, the generated ozone and the like can be diffused in the entire region in the library along with the air flow a. Thereby, the entire area in the storage can be sterilized.
In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 and 3, since the ultraviolet irradiation window 40 is disposed toward the fresh food f, the ultraviolet rays are directly irradiated to the fresh food f, and the irradiated surface of the fresh food f can exhibit strong sterilizing power. Therefore, the synergistic effect with the vacuum ultraviolet rays emitted from the discharge lamp 35 can enhance the sterilization effect of the whole of the stored fresh food.
In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the discharge lamp 35 irradiates vacuum ultraviolet rays toward the air flow a flowing through the air flow path b formed inside the housing 24 of the temperature adjustment unit 14, and therefore, ozone or the like generated can be diffused efficiently in all regions in the library along with the air flow a. This makes it possible to efficiently sterilize the entire air in the storage.
Further, since the temperature adjustment portion 14 has the humidifying portion 22 and the air flow a introduced into the temperature adjustment portion 14 is humidified by the humidifying portion 22, the environment in the refrigerator can be kept at a high humidity, and the fresh product f can be prevented from drying. Thus, the yield of the fresh product f can be suppressed from decreasing.
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, 3 and 4, the fresh food f is a vegetable or a fruit or a cut piece thereof, and is stored in a cage 42 stacked inside the fresh food storage 12.
In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, a continuous transport type refrigerator 44 is provided inside the fresh food storage 12. The continuous transport type freezer 44 includes a conveyor 46, and the fresh food f is continuously frozen by the conveyor 46 during transport.
In the above embodiment, the fresh food f is frozen in the fresh food storage 12 having a sterilization effect due to the presence of ozone or the like, and therefore, even after the operation of the continuous transport type refrigerator 44 is completed, the mechanical material constituting the continuous transport type refrigerator 44 can be prevented from being contaminated with the fresh food residue.
In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 5, an ozone concentration sensor 48 for detecting the concentration of ozone or the like is provided inside the fresh food storage 12, and the detection value of the ozone concentration sensor 48 is input to the intermittent irradiation control unit 20. The intermittent irradiation control unit 20 controls the operation of the discharge lamp 35 based on the detection value.
As shown in fig. 7, the storage method according to some embodiments includes a fresh food storage step S10, an airflow forming step S12, and an ultraviolet irradiation step S14.
In the fresh food storage step S10, the fresh food f is stored in the fresh food storage container 12 at a temperature equal to or higher than the frozen state. In the air flow forming step S12, the air flow a is formed around the fresh food f stored in the fresh food storage 12. In the ultraviolet irradiation step S14, the airflow a is intermittently irradiated with ultraviolet rays to generate radicals such as ozone and OH radicals, and the ozone and the like are diffused in all regions in the library along with the airflow a.
In this way, the entire area of the storage is sterilized by ozone or the like diffused in the entire area of the storage, and therefore, the propagation of microorganisms such as mold or the like is suppressed, and the putrefaction of the stored fresh food f is suppressed. Therefore, the freshness of the fresh product can be maintained for a long time.
In addition, in the ultraviolet irradiation step S14, by intermittently irradiating ultraviolet rays, the concentration control of ozone or radicals generated around the fresh food f becomes easy. By controlling the concentration of ozone or the like generated by intermittent irradiation, not only the sterilization effect of the fresh food f can be maintained, but also the inhibition of oxidation of the fresh food f by ozone or the like can be suppressed.
In addition, in the fresh food storage step S10, since the fresh food f is stored at a temperature equal to or higher than the frozen state, the formation of ice crystals in the cells of the fresh food f can be suppressed, and thus, the damage of the cell membrane caused by the formation of ice crystals can be suppressed, and the fresh food f can be stored with good freshness.
In one embodiment, in the ultraviolet irradiation step S14, the ultraviolet rays are intermittently irradiated based on the cumulative concentration obtained by multiplying the ultraviolet irradiation time by the concentration of ozone or the like.
By intermittently irradiating the vacuum ultraviolet rays based on the cumulative concentration, the amount of ozone and the like generated in the fresh food f can be controlled to an appropriate amount that can maintain the sterilization effect without damaging the surface of the fresh food f.
In one embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation step S14 is performed intermittently so that the cumulative concentration around the fresh food f is controlled to be a value between the lower limit value at which the sterilizing effect of the fresh food f appears and the upper limit value at which the oxidation inhibition appears on the surface of the fresh food f.
By intermittently irradiating ultraviolet light so that the integrated concentration becomes a value between the CT lower limit value and the CT upper limit value, the sterilization effect can be maintained over the entire storage period without damaging the surface of the fresh food f.
In one embodiment, in the ultraviolet irradiation step S14, vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength region of less than 200nm are irradiated.
Ozone and the like can be efficiently generated by irradiating air with vacuum ultraviolet rays having a single wavelength of less than 200nm, which are strongly absorbed by oxygen in the air. On the other hand, the vacuum ultraviolet rays of the wavelength are not absorbed by N in the air2Absorb without converting N2Separate, therefore NO NO is producedX. Therefore, there is no fear that the mechanical material constituting the storage space of the fresh food storage 12 or the stored fresh food f is damaged.
In an exemplary embodiment, the fresh food f is vegetables and fruits, and the vegetables and fruits are cooled to 0 to 5 ℃ in a fresh food storage container, and the ozone concentration is adjusted to 0.1 to 0.5 ppm. This can suppress not only corrosion of the fresh food f during storage thereof but also oxidation inhibition by ozone or the like.
Further, the fresh food storage is humidified to adjust the relative humidity to 90% or more. Thus, the fresh food f can be prevented from drying during storage.
In one embodiment, vegetables and fruits, such as lettuce, cabbage-like leafy vegetables, flowers, and mushrooms having thin epidermal cells are easily inhibited from oxidation by ozone or the like. Therefore, during the storage period, the vacuum ultraviolet rays of the wavelength are intermittently irradiated to the leaf vegetables so that the CT value becomes higher than the lower CT limit and close to the lower CT limit, as compared with fruits whose entire surface is covered with a skin body such as tomatoes and lemons.
Thereby, oxidation inhibition of the leaf vegetables, flowers, and mushrooms, particularly, the incision and the periphery thereof, can be suppressed during the preservation period.
In one embodiment, when the fresh product f is any of raw fish meat, raw chicken meat, or animal meat such as turkey, and the meat is cut into pieces at least partially in a direction crossing a cell membrane, the meat is easily inhibited from oxidation by ozone or the like. Therefore, in the case of the above-described cut pieces, the vacuum ultraviolet rays of the above-described wavelength are intermittently irradiated so that the CT value becomes a value higher than the CT lower limit value and closer to the CT lower limit value than in the case of cut pieces cut along the cell membrane during the storage period.
This can suppress the inhibition of oxidation of the cut pieces, which is likely to be inhibited by oxidation of ozone or the like, during the storage period.
In one embodiment, when the fresh meat f is any one of raw fish meat, raw chicken meat, and animal meat such as turkey meat, and the cut pieces are cut so that the meat is at least partially cut in a direction along a cell membrane, the cut pieces are less likely to be inhibited by oxidation such as ozone than cut pieces cut in a direction intersecting the cell membrane. Therefore, in the case of the dicing, the vacuum ultraviolet rays of the wavelength are intermittently irradiated so that the CT value becomes a value lower than the CT upper limit value and close to the CT upper limit value.
Thereby, oxidation inhibition of the cut pieces can be suppressed during the tube keeping period, and the sterilization effect can be improved.
[ examples ]
(1) In-warehouse sterilization test
The storage apparatus 10(10D) shown in fig. 4 is used as a storage apparatus. The storage apparatus 10(10D) includes a fresh food storage 12, and the fresh food storage 12 includes a temperature adjustment unit 14 including a humidifying unit 22.
As shown in fig. 4, the discharge lamp 35 as the irradiation unit 18 is disposed at an upper corner of the fresh food f, and the ultraviolet irradiation window 40 is disposed toward the air flow a.
Vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm are radiated from the ultraviolet irradiation window 40, and the interior of the container is maintained at a temperature of 2 ℃ and a relative humidity of 95% or more, thereby performing a sterilization test of the air in the container.
Further, the intermittent irradiation control unit 20 repeatedly and intermittently lights the discharge lamp 35 for 30 minutes with the lighting for 1 second and the lighting for 10 seconds so that the ozone concentration in the chamber becomes 0.3 ppm.
As shown in fig. 4, in the cage 42 stacked below the discharge lamp 35, PDA medium (potato dextrose agar) medium) was opened for 30 minutes at the point a located in the upper stage, the point B located in the middle stage, and the point C located in the middle stage, and the amount of mold was measured.
As shown in table 1, the number of bacteria was confirmed to decrease after the sterilization operation.
TABLE 1
| Mould (I) | Before sterilization | After 30 minutes |
| Upper segment (A dot) | 0 | 4 |
| Upper segment (B dot) | 110 | 16 |
| Middle section (C point) | 9 | 6 |
In addition, as a comparative example, a mercury lamp was used, and in a test performed using an ultraviolet lamp that emits ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 185nm, the mercury lamp did not light up due to a low temperature.
(2) Storage test of cabbage
Using the storage apparatus 10(10D) shown in FIG. 4, the cabbage is stored in the fresh food storage 12 in an exposed state for 2 months at a temperature of 2 ℃ and a relative humidity of 95% or more. During the remaining days after 38 days of storage, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm were emitted from the discharge lamp 35, and intermittent irradiation was performed for 1 hour/day at intervals of 1 second for lighting and 10 seconds for lighting-off so that the ozone concentration in the storage became 0.3 ppm.
As a comparative example, cabbage was stored under the same conditions for 2 months without operating the discharge lamp 35.
As a result, in this example, the putrefaction was suppressed to be low within 2 months. On the other hand, the comparative examples maintained good freshness for 40 days, but then suffered from mold and rapid spoilage.
The ratio of mold generation in 2 months was 27% in the present example and 90% in the comparative example, and the weight yield was good.
(3) Surface sterilization test of cabbage
A cooler unit (temperature adjustment unit) 14 including a humidifying unit 22 is provided in the container, and a discharge lamp 35 is disposed at an outlet of the cooler unit 14. The temperature in the container was maintained at 5 ℃ and the relative humidity was maintained at 90% or more, and the discharge lamp 35 was controlled to be turned on for 1 second and turned off for 10 seconds so that the ozone concentration became 0.35ppm, and vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm were emitted for 10 days with an irradiation time of 2 hours/day.
As a result, the number of general bacteria and mold on the surface and the axial portion of the cabbage was greatly reduced.
(4) Color change test of cabbage (comparative example)
The discharge lamp 35 was operated so that the ozone concentration around the cabbage as a fresh product became 2ppm under the same conditions of the temperature and the relative humidity in the container as in the test (3) using the same test apparatus as in the test (3). The discharge lamp 35 was continuously operated for 24 hours for 9 days with the lighting time set to 1 second for lighting and 1.5 seconds for extinction. As a result, the surface of the cabbage was discolored.
< inspection of generated gas >
As shown in fig. 8, in a discharge lamp 35 as the irradiation unit 18 of the embodiment, vacuum ultraviolet rays emitted from a discharge chamber 36a in which a discharge gas is sealed are not introduced into N in the atmosphere in a space c2Gas absorption without adding N2And (5) gas separation. Therefore, the generation of nitrogen oxides can be suppressed.
Fig. 9 shows the results of analyzing the ozone gas generated by using a discharge lamp that emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172nm using xenon as a discharge gas by gas chromatography. In the figure, line D represents the case of using the discharge lamp, and line E represents the case of using a conventionally known discharge type ozone generator to generate ozone gas. As shown in fig. 9, the generation of nitrogen oxides is suppressed in line D.
(5) Irradiation test for mold
The inside of an incubator is maintained at 20 ℃ and 90% relative humidity, and Penicillium (Penicillium) is used as a test strain. Penicillium is prepared by adding 10ml of sterile water to the mycelia, scraping spores, diluting to various dilution ratios, coating 100. mu.L of the diluted mycelia in PDA culture medium, placing in a thermostat, and intermittently irradiating vacuum ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of less than 200nm with a discharge lamp at intervals of 1 second for light-on and 10 seconds for light-off.
FIG. 10 shows the transition of the ozone concentration in the oven. The respective mountains of the ozone concentration in fig. 10 are referred to as "treatment zones" in table 2. Table 2 shows that the number of colonies (clumps) of mold decreased as the number of treated areas increased, that is, as the CT value increased.
TABLE 2
Under the above test conditions, a test was further performed by adding Mycoplasma nigrum (genus Cladosporium) and Escherichia coli (genus Escherichia) as test mycelia. CT values were adjusted to 13.3ppm & min (day 1), 36.8ppm & min (day 2), and 42.5ppm & min (day 3).
As a result, 3 tested mycelia were reduced, and the reduction of Escherichia coli was particularly significant.
(6) Cabbage storage test
The harvested cabbage was stored in a storage kept at a temperature of 2 ℃, and vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm were intermittently irradiated to the cabbage in the storage for 30 minutes by a discharge lamp at intervals of 0.5 seconds for lighting and 20 seconds for lighting. The target ozone concentration was set to 0.35 ppm. The CT value was 11.1 ppm-min by intermittent irradiation for 30 minutes, 2 times for 1 day and 610.5 ppm-min after 28 days.
The cabbage after 63 days of storage was kept in a state of little mold generation, and the rotting was suppressed, and oxidation inhibition by ozone was not caused. Therefore, in the above test, the CT value was found to be between the lower limit value and the upper limit value during the storage of the cabbage.
(7) Cabbage storage test
The harvested cabbage was stored in a storage kept at a temperature of 2 ℃, and vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of less than 200nm were intermittently irradiated by a discharge lamp for 60 minutes at intervals of 0.5 second for lighting and 20 seconds for extinction in the storage. The target ozone concentration was set to 0.35 ppm. The appearance of the cabbage after the harvest before the test is shown in fig. 11 (a).
After the intermittent irradiation for 60 minutes was performed 2 times for 1 day during 29 days from the start of the test, the CT value after 29 days reached 2919.53ppm · min, and all cabbages showed oxidation inhibition (step 1). The appearance of the cabbage in this state is shown in fig. 11 (B). In fig. 11(B), the surface of the cabbage exhibits an oxidation inhibition o.
After step 1, the intermittent irradiation time was changed to 30 minutes/time × 1 time/day, and the process was continued for 29 days (step 2). The CT value in the 2 nd step was 1011.18ppm min, and as a result, the CT value from the start of the test to the 2 nd step was 3930.72ppm min. The appearance of the cabbage after the 2 nd step is shown in fig. 11(C), and the oxidation inhibition o becomes more severe.
The test was carried out by dividing the cabbage into 3 groups, all of which were oxidatively scorched after the end of step 1.
From the test results, it is necessary to set the upper limit CT value to 2900ppm min or less.
After the 1 st step, the growth of mold was 20% in group X, 10% in group Y and 10% in group Z. The growth of mold after the 2 nd step was 100% for group X, 57% for group Y and 74% for group Z. The cause of the development of mold is considered to be the occurrence of oxidation inhibition by irradiation with ozone or the like exceeding the CT upper limit value.
Since ozone and the like are not substantially permeable, mold on the surface of a fresh product can be sterilized, and mold generated in a complicated tissue such as a leaf cannot be completely killed. The leaves, which are necrotic due to oxidation inhibition by ozone or the like, are all rotten to produce mold.
In the above examples, the inside of the fresh food storage is set to a temperature of 0 ℃ or higher, but the present invention can exhibit the sterilization effect and the effect of suppressing the inhibition of oxidation even when the inside of the fresh food storage is set to a low temperature of less than 0 ℃.
Industrial applicability
According to some embodiments, even if ultraviolet rays are irradiated, the whole of the fresh food stored in the storage can be efficiently sterilized without damaging the mechanical material of the fresh food storage or the stored fresh food, and the fresh food can be kept fresh for a long period of time while suppressing the growth of microorganisms and suppressing the putrefaction of the fresh food.
Claims (11)
1. A fresh food storage device, comprising:
a fresh product storage warehouse for storing fresh products at a temperature higher than a freezing state;
a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the temperature in the fresh food storage warehouse to a storage temperature equal to or higher than a freezing state;
an air flow generating unit that forms an air flow in the fresh food storage;
an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates the air flow with ultraviolet light to generate ozone or radicals; and
an intermittent irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation unit so as to intermittently irradiate the airflow with the ultraviolet rays,
the intermittent irradiation control unit is configured to: the temperature of the fresh food storage is maintained at the storage temperature during the storage of the fresh food in the fresh food storage, and the illumination and the light-off of the illumination unit are repeated at intervals of 0.5 to 1 second for the illumination time and 10 to 20 seconds for the light-off time.
2. The fresh food storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the intermittent irradiation control part is
Intermittently irradiating the fresh product with the ultraviolet light based on an integrated concentration determined by a product of a time period during which the fresh product is exposed to the ozone or the radical and a concentration of the ozone or the radical.
3. The fresh food storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
the intermittent irradiation control part is
Intermittently irradiating the ultraviolet ray during storage of the fresh food in the fresh food storage,
the control is performed so that the cumulative concentration around the fresh food is a value between a lower limit value at which the bactericidal effect of the fresh food appears and an upper limit value at which the oxidation inhibition appears on the surface of the fresh food.
4. A fresh food storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:
the irradiation section includes an excimer lamp or a rare gas fluorescent lamp that emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a single wavelength of less than 200 nm.
5. A fresh food storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:
the temperature adjusting part is
The heating part is configured to be a temperature region capable of heating the fresh food to a temperature below the freezing point of the protein.
6. A fresh food storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:
the temperature adjusting part is
The fresh food can be stored in a refrigerated state or a frozen state.
7. A fresh food storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: comprises a humidifying part for humidifying the air flow around the fresh food.
8. A method for keeping fresh products, comprising:
a fresh product storage step of storing the fresh product in a storage warehouse at a storage temperature higher than a freezing state;
an air flow forming step of forming an air flow around the fresh produce; and
an ultraviolet irradiation step of intermittently irradiating the air flow with ultraviolet rays to generate ozone or radicals and diffusing the ozone or radicals in the entire region of the storage with the air flow,
in the ultraviolet irradiation step, during the storage period of the fresh food in the storage, the temperature of the storage is kept at the storage temperature, and the irradiation of the ultraviolet rays is repeated at intervals of 0.5 to 1 second for an on time and 10 to 20 seconds for an off time.
9. The method for preserving a fresh food as set forth in claim 8, wherein:
the ultraviolet irradiation step is
Intermittently irradiating the ultraviolet ray based on an integrated concentration obtained by a product of the irradiation time of the ultraviolet ray and the concentration of the ozone or the radical.
10. The method for preserving a fresh food as set forth in claim 9, wherein:
the ultraviolet irradiation step is
The ultraviolet rays are continuously irradiated in the fresh food storage step, and the cumulative concentration around the fresh food is controlled so as to be a value between a lower limit value at which the bactericidal effect of the fresh food appears and an upper limit value at which the oxidation inhibition appears on the surface of the fresh food.
11. The method for preserving a fresh food according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein: the ultraviolet rays are vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength region of less than 200 nm.
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| PCT/JP2016/065932 WO2016194877A1 (en) | 2015-05-29 | 2016-05-30 | Fresh product storage system and storage method |
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| WO2016194877A1 (en) * | 2015-05-29 | 2016-12-08 | 株式会社前川製作所 | Fresh product storage system and storage method |
| JP6752488B2 (en) * | 2016-12-21 | 2020-09-09 | アクア株式会社 | Refrigerator with sterilizer and sterilizer |
| JP7145365B2 (en) * | 2018-06-05 | 2022-10-03 | 独立行政法人国立高等専門学校機構 | Sterilization or pest control system and sterilization or pest control method |
| KR102555716B1 (en) * | 2019-07-01 | 2023-07-14 | 한국식품연구원 | Plasma ozon gas processing system and method for hazards removal of grain |
| US20210018248A1 (en) * | 2019-07-19 | 2021-01-21 | Lee C. Ditzler | System and method to inhibit microbial growth in mass storage of produce |
| JP7319206B2 (en) * | 2020-01-31 | 2023-08-01 | フクシマガリレイ株式会社 | Defroster |
| JP2021188757A (en) * | 2020-05-26 | 2021-12-13 | 日栄インテック株式会社 | Freshness retention device |
| CN114793066B (en) | 2021-01-26 | 2023-12-01 | 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 | Xenon lamp power supply, purifying device and refrigerating equipment |
| GB202114566D0 (en) * | 2021-10-12 | 2021-11-24 | Vitec Microgenix Ltd | Transportation and storage of fresh produce |
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| CN104522146A (en) * | 2014-12-24 | 2015-04-22 | 中国科学院昆明植物研究所 | Preservation method of tricholoma matsutake |
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