椎名 武夫

Recently, emphasis has been given on the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass which is recognized as an alternative to fossil fuels not only to reduce reliance on foreign fuels and improve energy security but also to achieve the environmental benefits. Lignocellulosic bioethanol is produced by different pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis processes. This study attempts to evaluate the life cycle of bioethanol produces from rice straw by room temperature (RT)-CaCCO [Calcium Capturing by Carbonation (CO2)] process considering three scenarios to estimate the energy balance, CO2 emission and production cost to find a cost effective and environmentally friendly process. The energy balance, CO2 emission and production cost is found to be dependent on the adopted scenarios. A shift in scenarios reduces the environmental load, production cost and would help to compete with its counterpart (gasoline) and may encourage more investment in this sector.

２種類の植物工場（完全制御型およびハイブリッド型）で生産される葉菜類について、ライフサイクルインベントリー分析を実施した。機能単位としては、１kgの野菜生産に伴う二酸化炭素排出量、すなわちkg-CO2/kgを用いた。解析の結果、完全制御型で生産される野菜のLC-CO2は、ハイブリッド型の３倍弱と非常に大きいことが明らかになった。その内訳を見ると、照明および空調のための電力消費に伴うCO2排出量が、完全制御型で90％、ハイブリッド型で70％を、それぞれ占めた。植物工場における温室効果ガス削減のためには、照明と空調の高効率化が重要であるといえる。

An alternative current (AC) high electric field chamber (HEF chamber, a newly developed refrigerator device) was used to investigate the physical characteristics expected to play a role in the storage shelf life of food and agricultural commodities. The HEF chamber with low temperature design was set at different input voltages (0-7 kV) and temperature levels (1-25 degrees C). At each condition of voltage input and temperature setting, changes of ozone emission (O-3 emission) and temperature in the chamber were continuously monitored for 24 h. Mean value of O-3 emission produced within the HEF chamber was highest at 1 degrees C with 100% HEF voltage (7 kV). A decreasing O-3 concentration was observed with lower voltage input (75, 50, and 25%, respectively) and higher temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 degrees C, respectively). Since electric fields have been reported to extend shelf life of fresh commodities, emission of O-3 in the HEF chamber observed in this study seems to be a key factor contributing to effectiveness of the combined HEF and low temperature effect on enhanced storage life and quality of fresh commodities. A comparison between the HEF and non-HEF/O-3 treatment, based on changes of physiological and chemical composition and microorganism growth, was conducted to clarify the effects of O-3 emission on quality of fresh produce. Further development of the HEF chamber may lead to development of a novel refrigerator device for storage of fresh food and agricultural commodities.

Bamboo shoots (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) harvested from the Ohma cultivation area (Fukuoka, Japan) at different stages of maturity (above ground and underground) were used to investigate the amount of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and total oxalic acid in four sections along the length of the shoot. Harvested bamboo shoots were also used to study the changes in total oxalic acid content during storage at both 5 and 25 degrees C. Contents of sucrose, glucose, and fructose were higher in underground bamboo shoots than in above ground shoots. Sucrose content in the apical section (first section) was significantly higher than in other above ground sections, while higher contents of glucose and fructose occurred in the most basal section. Total oxalic acid content of underground bamboo shoots was lower than that in above ground bamboo shoots. During storage, except for day 6 at 25 degrees C, total oxalic acid content of the basal section was significantly lower than in other sections. Additionally, at 5 degrees C, total oxalic acid content of the first and second sections seemed to increase during 6 days of storage. The chemical composition of fresh bamboo shoots differed depending on the specific histology of each shoot section and harvest maturity.

Changes in the quality of sweet potato during hot air drying, such as L-ascorbic acid, sugar content, surface color and hardness, and drying characteristics, were investigated at temperatures of 30, 40, 50, and 60 degrees C. Equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) of sweet potato samples in the desorption process were measured by a static method at the four aforementioned temperatures and six selected relative humidity levels. Using both the measured moisture content data in the drying test and the EMC values, hot air drying characteristics of sweet potato was estimated. Changes in L-ascorbic acid content of sweet potato during hot air drying was measured, wherein a first-order reaction rate equation was applied to model the change in decomposition of L-ascorbic acid content. In addition, surface color, sugar content, and surface hardness were also measured. The total color change (Delta E) of the samples was observed to decrease as drying temperature was increased. The effects of sample sugar concentration on surface hardening during hot air drying of sweet potato are discussed.

イチゴの輸送中に想定される衝撃加速度あるいは衝撃発生回数に対応した損傷防止対策のための基礎的知見を得るために，イチゴの輸送工程における衝撃加速度および衝撃回数を加速度記録計により調査し，それらがイチゴの商品性に及ぼす影響を調査した．さらに，緩衝材の使用によるそれらの衝撃および果実の商品性低下の軽減効果について検討した．その結果，輸送時における衝撃の大半が最下段の箱に集中することが明らかとなり，衝撃による損傷防止のための緩衝包装設計を行う場合，1段目（最下段）の包装容器に係る衝撃加速度および衝撃回数について考慮すべきであることが示唆された．衝撃加速度と果実の商品性が喪失するまでの衝撃繰り返し回数との関係は累乗近似曲線（R² = 0.98）により表すことができ，この曲線により輸送工程における衝撃加速度および衝撃回数が果実の商品性に及ぼす影響を予測することができた．さらに，この曲線を用いることにより緩衝材の厚さと衝撃によるイチゴの商品性低下の軽減程度との関係を明らかにすることができた．以上の結果より，輸送経路あるいは手段ごとの損傷発生を予測することができ，的確かつ効率的な損傷防止対策が可能になると考えられた．<br>

Bamboo shoots (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) harvested from two cultivation areas were used to investigate the amount of accumulated sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) in four sections along the length of a bamboo shoot. Bamboo shoots harvested from above ground (emerged bamboo shoot) and underground of the same cultivation area were also used to study the changes in sugar content during storage at both 5 and 25 degrees C. The amounts of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and total sugar of underground bamboo shoots were higher than those of emerged shoots. Sucrose content in the apical section was significantly higher than that in other sections. Meanwhile, higher amounts of glucose, fructose, and total sugar (the sum of sucrose, glucose, and fructose) were observed in the basal section. Changes in sugar content were also observed during storage. The fresh, unpeeled bamboo shoots have particular cellular chemical properties and respond differently to storage duration and condition depending on harvest maturity.

本研究では，濃硫酸加水分解法による稲わらからのバイオエタノール生産プロセスにおけるコスト，CO₂排出量およびエネルギ収支について調査し，エネルギ資源としての利用可能性について検討した。その結果，バイオエタノール変換効率は，コスト，CO₂排出量およびエネルギ投入量に大きな影響を及ぼすことがわかった。また，リグニンをボイラで燃焼させ，エネルギを熱回収するシステムを取り入れることがCO₂削減効果およびエネルギ収支を向上させるために必要不可欠であることが示された。今後，バイオエタノール生産におけるトータルコストを低減させるためには，高効率なバイオエタノール変換技術の開発だけでなく，バイオマスの高効率収集システムの開発が必要であることが示唆された。

Vibration and shock data was collected using accelerometers placed in corrugated fiberboard containers of cherries transported from Yamagata, Japan to Taipei, Taiwan. Vibration during airplane transport differed from that of transport by trucks, with much high-frequency vibration and the highest peak frequency measured at 80 Hz. Vibration features of Japanese trucks differed from those of Taiwanese trucks. Cherries loaded oil trucks in Yamagata and undergoing customs procedures and inspection at Narita International Airport (Narita) showed fewer shocks and lower acceleration, &lt; 10 G. Packaged cherries loaded oil planes at Narita and unloaded at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (Taoyuan) showed the highest shocks. Maximum shock acceleration of 60 G throughout transport was detected in loading at Narita. Shock acceleration during quarantine and customs procedures at Taoyuan was also high like at Narita. Cherries transported by truck in Taipei underwent a maximum shock acceleration of 20 G, exceeding that in Japan truck transport.

This paper discusses the application of vacuum-dehydrofreezing technique to long-term storage of fresh-cut eggplant. Vacuum-dehydrated eggplant samples (target moisture content: 80% and 60%, w.b.) were subjected to successive freezing, thawing and rehydration treatments under various process conditions; the physical properties including surface color, texture and electrical impedance of the processed samples were investigated and compared to those of the conventionally frozen-thawed samples. Results showed that the freezing time of the dehydrated samples shortened apparently with the decreasing moisture content; the rate of immersion freezing was obviously higher than that of the air freezing. After the dehydration-freezing-rehydration treatment, the surface color and texture of the samples improved markedly over the non-dehydrated samples. The combination of immersion freezing and low temperature thawing (5 degrees C) had the least impact on the texture of the samples among the examined experimental conditions. Electrical impedance spectroscopy analysis indicated that the damage to the cell structures caused by ice formation during freezing led to the fundamental changes of the quality attributes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

As interest in the application of microbubbles grows, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the factors affecting their formation and properties in order to effectively generate microbubbles. This paper investigates the effect of surfactant concentration and electrolyte addition on the size distribution and stability of microbubbles. The anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as the surfactant. Minimum bubble diameter and maximum stability were achieved at surfactant concentrations above the CMC. The effect of the electrolyte addition was studied by adding sodium chloride (NaCl) at an SDS concentration below the critical micelle concentration (CIVIC). Addition of NaCl decreased bubble size and improved bubble preparation to a certain extent. The addition of salt at low concentrations diet not affect the surface tension; however, the surface tension was reduced as salt concentration was increased and reached a constant value for NaCl concentrations above 0.25%. The presence of NaCl resulted in a significant decrease in zeta-potential, implying a reduction in the surface charge of SDS micelles. This result suggests that the presence of NaCl may improve the generation and stability of bubbles by enhancing the structures of the adsorption monolayer and interfacial film. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rice is the most important agricultural commodity in Japan. It is consumed in various forms, each of which uses different amounts of resources and energy. This study attempts to evaluate the life cycle of rice (well- and partially-milled, brown, and germinated brown rice) and compare it to the parboiled milled rice to determine if the environmental load from the life cycle of rice can be reduced. The life cycle inventory (CO(2) emission) increases gradually from partially-milled (milling 2%) to the parboiled rice. The paper-bag option seems to be more environmentally friendly than the polyethylene-bag option. It is worthwhile to note that the partially-milled rice not only reduces the environmental load but also retains more food nutrients compared to the well-milled rice. A change in rice production and consumption patterns would be helpful to reduce about 2-16% of the negative environmental impact coming from the current life cycle of rice in Japan. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Japan, most food-safety hazards pose only small risks due to the quality of Japanese food production and the strong standards in place. However, food-safety issues are receiving more attention now for several reasons. First, science is now better able to trace many foodborne illnesses and their outcomes to specific pathogens found in food. Second, as consumers live longer and become more affluent, they demand higher levels of quality and safety in their food. Third, changes in production practices and new sources of food, such as imports, introduce new kinds of risks into the food system. Finally, as more foods are purchased away from home or purchased in prepared form, consumers exercise less control over food safety. Food safety has become an important factor for governmental policy and company strategies. In the policy field, the Japanese government has reviewed the food-safety system. The Food Sanitation Law was amended, and the new Food Safety Basic Law took effect by the summer of 2003. Under the latter, the Food Safety Commission, an independent advisory commission under the cabinet office, was established. Apart from this, regulatory laws regarding to sanitary, phytosanitary, and other standards relate to the maximum pesticide and antibiotic residue limits, sanitary issues, packing, labeling, and company quality standards. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

It is reported that half of all human environmental impact is food related and changes in the production and consumption of meat are most challenging of all food product categories (Jongen and Meerdink, 2005). Food supplies the energy required by the body and other health beneficial food components. Consuming more or lesser calories than expended will result in weight gain or loss and insufficient intake of even one essential nutrient over a long time will create food related health problems. Therefore, we attempt to evaluate the effect of dietary choices on the environmental load from the meat sector in Japan. This study reveals that a change in dietary choices helps to abate the environmental load from the meat sector in Japan.

青果物の出荷においては、ほとんどの場合、10kg詰め程度の段ボール箱が利用されている。その際、段ボール箱は、ワンウエイで利用され、使用後はリサイクルされる。本研究では、段ボール箱に替えて、最近開発されたリユース式バルクコンテナ（プラスチック製のパレットと上ぶた、および複々両面段ボール胴枠からなり、いずれもリユースされる）を青果物流通に利用した場合の、温室効果ガス排出量の削減効果について検討した結果を報告する。

Water absorption characteristics of three kinds of dried vegetables (eggplant, radish and carrot) were investigated during soaking. Changes in moisture content of these samples were measured at four temperatures ranging from 20 to 70 degrees C. The infinite plane shoot diffusion model was used to describe the water absorption process for these samples : the measured results agreed well with the calculated results. The diffusion coefficients were 2.8 x 10(9) to 1.0 x 10(-8) m(2). s(-1) for eggplant, 1.5 x 10(-9) to 9.1 x 10(-9) m(2).s(1) for radish and 1.2 x 10(-9) to 8.9 x 10(-9) m(2).s(1) for carrot. Using an Arrhenius-type equation the relationship between the diffusion coefficients and temperature was determined to estimate the activation energy for each sample. In addition, changes in volume during soaking were determined by measuring the apparent density, true density, and specific volume on a dry basis for the dried vegetable samples at various Moisture contents. From the apparent density and true density, internal porosity was determined and its effect on water absorption and volume Of the three kinds of dried vegetables was evaluated.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that can be used to evaluate the environmental load of a product, process, or activity throughout its life cycle. Today's LCA users are a mixture of individuals with skills in different disciplines who want to evaluate their products, processes, or activities in a life cycle context. This study attempts to present some of the LCA studies on agricultural and industrial food products, recent advances in LCA and their application on food products. The reviewed literatures indicate that agricultural production is the hotspot in the life cycle of food products and LCA can assist to identify more sustainable options. Due to the recent development of LCA methodologies and dissemination programs by international and local bodies, use of LCA is rapidly increasing in agricultural and industrial food products. A network of information sharing and exchange of experience has expedited the LCA development process. The literatures also suggest that LCA coupled with other approaches provides much more reliable and comprehensive information to environmentally conscious policy makers, producers, and consumers in selecting sustainable products and production processes. Although LCA methodologies have been improved, further international standardization would broaden its practical applications, improve the food security and reduce human health risk. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of processing conditions on the energy consumption and quality of short-and long-grain rice were studied. The energy consumed during milling increased and the head rice yield decreased with an increase in the degree of milling (DOM). The energy consumed during the cooking and the moisture content of cooked rice was found to be dependent on the DOM and the variety of rice. The overall energy consumption was found to be greater for brown rice than for well- and partially milled rice, but there was no significant difference between the partially and well-milled rice. However, some of the nutrients that are beneficial to health were found to be lower in well-milled rice than in partially milled and brown rice. A lower DOM (Koshihikari) not only conserves energy in the life cycle of rice and improves head rice yield, but also retains more of the nutrients. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To propose potential lab-simulated vibration tests for developing appropriate cushioning packaging, we recorded vibration acceleration during truck transport, including large sporadic shocks in regular smaller vibration so that acceleration did not cover a normal probability distribution and could not be considered as random vibration. We extracted all shock acceleration from vibration during local road and highway transport and studied the causes. We found that shocks were caused by road roughness, metal joints, difference in levels on the asphalt-surfaced road, pedestrian crossings, manholes, road curves, left and right turns, railroad crossings, etc. After removing shock events from all vibration acceleration during transport, we reconstructed remaining acceleration as continuous vibration. Vibration acceleration followed the normal probability distribution and could be considered random. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Vibrations are usually analysed by the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, and this method is efficient for analysing frequency characteristics of vibrations during transportation. However, the nature of vibrations during transportation is nonstationary, and the FFT method is not sufficient for dealing with such a nonstationary, time-dependent data in some cases. In this study, vibration data were analysed for non-stationary events using a wavelet algorithm. Although apparent changes infrequency characteristics of vibrations were not observed, a continuous wavelet transform sufficiently detected the time dependence of frequency characteristics. When strong shocks were contained in vibration data, wavelet power spectra were significantly increased corresponding to shocks, and the changes were over a wide range of frequencies. The analysis using discrete wavelet transform indicated that shock signals were located in several decomposition levels, and this was dependent on shock direction. Locally amplified detail coefficients and a subsequent reconstruction successfully generated shock-added vibration data, considering the frequency characteristics of actual shocks. This procedure is expected to be used as a shock generation method in vibration tests. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

As focus on the potential applications of microbubbles increases, information about the efficiency of generation methods and their effects on the properties and stability of microbubbles is crucial in the selection of an appropriate method to generate microbubbles with the desired properties. This paper evaluates the generation efficiencies of two commonly used methods, mechanical agitation and sonication, in two surfactant systems. The results demonstrated that sonication was more effective than mechanical agitation in the generation of microbubbles in terms of higher gas hold-up, smaller bubble size, and larger interfacial area. Analysis of the changes in bubble size over time revealed that the existence of a critical diameter for the shrinkage of microbubbles. The behavior of microbubbles and the critical diameter depended on the generation method employed and the surfactant used. Industrial relevance: Microbubble technology has gradually become accepted as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly technology with great potential within almost every field of the food industry. Selection of a suitable method to generate microbubbles with the desired properties is crucial. Mechanical agitation and sonication are two commonly used methods for microbubble generation. However, systematic information on their generation efficiency and effects on the properties of microbubbles is not available. Thus, a comparative study was conducted in this paper. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethylene production and the accumulation of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxy tic acid synthase (ACS; EC 4.4.1.14) gene were determined in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit that were dropped from a height of 5 cm. Dropped fruit had higher ethylene production than nondropped controls, and this lasted for at least 10 h. Maximum accumulation of Le-ACS2, one of the members of the Le-ACS multigene family, was achieved 5 h after dropping, and changes in accumulation tracked closely with ethylene production. In comparison with control fruit, substantial accumulation of Le-ACS1A, Le-ACS4, or Le-ACS6 in dropped fruit was not observed. These results indicated that the increased ethylene production following fruit dropping was most likely regulated by Le-ACS2 transcripts. The transfer of dropping stimuli from directly stressed tissues was investigated by measuring Le-ACS2 accumulation at various positions on the dropped fruit. Le-ACS2 was mainly induced in the fruit pericarp, and there was low accumulation in the fruit interior. The Le-ACS2 accumulation linearly decreased with increasing distance along the pericarp from the stressed site. This implied that accumulation of Le-ACS2 was dependent on stress levels, while most ethylene that was derived from dropping was produced at the stressed site. Using levels of Le-ACS2 accumulation, the ethylene production of tomato fruit at mechanically impacted sites was estimated to be about 50 times higher than that of nondropped controls.

The freezing process was studied at -5 degrees C to determine the physicochemical properties and the freezing point temperature (FPT) of chestnuts. The cooling curve method was used to measure the FPT. A multiple linear regression model was also developed to predict the FPT. The FPT was found to be dependent on the sugar content. It seems that the FPT is also influenced by the mass of the chestnut. For a certain chestnut (mass 13.95 g, sugar content 5.14%), the FPT was observed to be -1.7 degrees C. A high correlation was found between the freezing point predicted by the model and the measured one. Hence, the developed model might be used to predict the FPT of chestnuts for efficient and effective storage. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle of fresh tomato was evaluated to determine CO2 emissions during its cultivation and distribution. Low temperature (LT) and modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) were compared for their effect on quality. Road and sea transport were also compared. The method of cultivation and transport and the distribution systems affected the overall life cycle inventory (LCI, CO2 emissions). Life cycle inventory was larger for greenhouse produce than for that raised under plastic cover and larger for produce transported by road than for that transported by sea. The distance between production and consumption area affected the LCI significantly. It is worthwhile to note that MAP would not be environmentally acceptable over LT packaging in the case of tomatoes transported by road over a distance shorter than 2000 km although such transport does not require any cooling during transport and storage: MAP would be a better option in the case of sea transport beyond 1000 km. The distance over which MAP is the better option is thus dependent on the mode of transport because the two modes of transport differ in speed and, therefore, in emissions. A change in cultivation from greenhouse to plastic cover, in transport from road to sea, and in packaging from LT to MAP is required to minimize the LCI and would abate approximately 0.14-0.24 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year from Japan. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drying characteristics and L-ascorbic acid changes of a kiwifruit slice (10 mm) were investigated during hot air drying at four temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees C. A relationship between hardening of the sample surface and the drying rate was also investigated. Using the measured data, a non-linear least squares method was applied to an exponential model for the first period of drying, and an infinite plane sheet model for the diffusion equation for the second period of drying. The empirical moisture content changes agreed well with both models. The values determined for the diffusion coefficients were 3.79 x 10(-12) to 7.53 x 10(-12) m(2)/s. An Arrhenius-type equation was used to relate the diffusion coefficient of kiwifruit to temperature, and the activation energy of kiwifruit for hot air drying was estimated. In addition, it was estimated that the drying rate of kiwifruit might increase by avoiding hardening of the sample surface. In order to examine the nutrient changes in kiwifruit during hot air drying, a first-order rate equation was applied to the changes in the decomposition of L-ascorbic acid contents during drying. An Arrhenius-type equation was applied to the estimation of the decomposition rate constant k '. Therefore, the activation energy for the decomposition during hot air drying of kiwifruit was estimated to be 38.6 kJ/mol. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2002年の中国産冷凍野菜の農薬残留事件以降、台湾からベトナムヘと加工野菜の輸入先のシフトが生じている。ベトナムは2007年にWTOに加盟し、先進諸国の援助により、「科学に基づいた食品安全管理」の推進を行っている。本論文では同国における食品安全管理システムについて概説するとともに、優良農業規範（GAP）および総合的病害管理（IPM）の取組みについて紹介した。

Climate change has been recognized as one of the most serious problems humankind faces today. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by human activities have a negative impact on the environment. Until now, several efforts (LCA, Ecological Footprint, etc.) have been made by different organizations (ISO, UNEP, EU, SETAC, USEPA, etc.) and countries to combat these problems. Recently, carbon footprint has been introduced to abate GHG emissions. The full footprint encompasses a wide range of emissions sources (direct or indirect) and reported to be quite a complex task. GHG emissions from a product, process and service are known to be depended on the geographical location, time periods and technologies. To facilitate the carbon footprinting process, guides have been enforced by different countries. Japan and UK are taking the leading role to implement the carbon footprinting. Therefore, this study attempts to review the carbon footprint guides of UK and Japan, and distinguish them.

濃硫酸法および酵素法による稲わらからのバイオエタノール生産プロセスにおけるコスト，CO2排出量およびエネルギ収支について調査し，稲わらのエネルギ資源としての利用可能性について検討した。その結果，エネルギを熱回収するシステムを取り入れることが，CO2排出削減効果およびエネルギ収支を向上させるために必要不可欠であることが示された。また，酵素法によるエタノール生産が，想定プロセスの中で最適となる可能性が示唆された。

Bubbles play important roles in many food processes and are incorporated into various foods to improve the texture, mouth feel, and appearance of food products. Microbubbles are bubbles with a diameter of several tens of micrometers. Microbubbles exhibit new and improved properties such as higher surface area to volume ratio, longer retention time in liquid, higher gas-dissolving ability, and the generation of free radicals during collapse. Microbubble-based technology has emerged as an important technology for food industry. It has a great potential to be used in a wide range of processes, including aquaculture & hydroponic cultivation, food preservation & quality control, and water & wastewater treatment. Different applications may have different requirements on the properties of microbubbles, such as size, monodispersity, surface property, and stability. Thus, the information of the effects of generation methods on the properties of microbubbles is important to select a suitable method for generating microbubbles with the desired properties. In this paper, the generation efficiencies of two commonly used methods, i.e., mechanical agitation and sonication, were evaluated. The results demonstrated that sonication is more effective in the generation of microbubbles than mechanical agitation. Analysis of the change in the bubble diameter with time revealed that the existence of a critical diameter for the shrinkage of microbubbles. The critical diameter and the behavior of microbubbles depend on the method employed to generate microbubbles.

The susceptibility of the product against the vibration was studied at an actual transport condition to develop a random vibration test method. The validity of obtaining power spectrum density (PSD) and its design method were investigated by using a low cost three dimensional vibration data logger (interval recording type). The logger was subjected to the sinusoidal vibration in vertical direction. PSD data obtained by the data logger (equipped with software) gave a lesser level of power in the low frequency range provably due to the limitation of the resolution of frequency. Therefore, attention should be paid not only on the upper limit of the frequency based upon sampling theory but also on the lower limit to evaluate PSD by digital Fast Fourier Transformation. A simple average of the PSD data will give a too little power level, whereas selection of the highest level PSD give an overpower level to obtain PSD for the simulated transport test. However, it is possible to obtain a PSD data considering the damage susceptibility of the product by using the S-N curve. Moreover, an accelerated test, shortening of time for the vibration test than the actual transport is possible by using the S-N curve.

The cooking process was studied with an automatic rice cooker to determine the effect of cooking mode on the properties of cooked rice. Each form of rice was cooked with three different water-rice ratios in their corresponding cooking mode. The hydration characteristics, temperature and energy consumption profile were also measured. The hydration increased with an increase in soaking time and was higher for milled rice compared to the brown rice. Cooking time, temperature and energy consumption profiles varied from rice to rice, and seems to be dependent on the cooking mode, and consumed different amount of energy. For a certain hardness value of cooked rice, brown rice required the longest cooking time and water-rice ratio and attains highest amount of moisture compared to others, hence consumed the highest amount of energy. This study also revealed that the cooking properties of rice dependent on the forms of rice, water-rice ratio and the preset cooking mode.

The drying characteristics and L-ascorbic acid changes of sweet potato samples were investigated during hot air drying at four temperatures ranging from 30 to 60 °C. Equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) of sweet potato samples in the desorption process were measured at various temperatures by a static method. The measured results were fitted to the Chen-Clayton equation. Using both the measured moisture content data in the drying test and the EMC values, the drying process was evaluated with a combination of both the exponential drying model and an infinite plane sheet model for the diffusion equation. The diffusion coefficient was calculated using an infinite plane sheet model. An Arrhenius-type equation was used to estimate the diffusion coefficient of sweet potato in response to temperature, and the activation energy of sweet potato during hot air drying was estimated. In order to examine the nutrient changes in sweet potato during hot air drying, a first- order reaction rate equation was applied to changes in the decomposition of L-ascorbic acid contents during hot air drying. An Arrhenius-type equation was also applied to estimate the decomposition rate coefficient k&#039;. Accordingly, the activation energy needed for decomposition during hot air drying of sweet potato was estimated to be 48.8 kJ-mol-1.

軟弱な青果物の輸送時の損傷を低減させるためには, 適切な包装を用いることが重要である。本研究では, イチゴ果実について, 通常の二段詰め包装 (通常包装), 一段詰め包装, 果実同士の接触を防ぐための内装緩衝材を持つ包装 (内装緩衝包装) の3種類の包装を供試し, 包装条件および振動条件が, 果実の振動特性と損傷特性に及ぼす影響について検討した。具体的には, 容器の中央の果実, 端の果実および容器の縁についてレーザ変位計を用いて加速度を測定するとともに, 振動台に対する加速度伝達率を測定した。また, 振動周波数が損傷特性に及ぼす影響について検討した。その結果, 包装条件によって, 周波数と加速度伝達率との関係が明らかに異なった。また, 1時間加振の場合, 容器の中央果実の加速度伝達率とイチゴ果実の損傷特性との間に高い相関関係が認められた (r²=0.75)。一方, 2時間加振では, 20-30Hzにおいて, 加速度伝達率と加振1時間における損傷性との関係から予想される損傷をはるかに超える損傷が発生した。これは, 加振中に, 振動特性もしくは損傷特性が変化したためと考えられるが, その解明については今後の課題である。

モモの輸送に用いられる包装を最適化し, 輸送振動による果実の劣化を防止するために, 段ボール箱内の底面中央部における隙間が振動による果実の回転に及ぼす影響を調査した。また, そのような回転の発生を軽減する方法として, フルーツキャップに粘着性を付与する効果について検討した。内部底面に隙間を有する段ボール箱にウレタンシートを敷き, その上にフルーツキャップで包まれた果実を詰めた一般的な包装形態においては, 実際の輸送レベルの振動によっても果実の回転が発生することが明らかとなった。しかし, 箱内底面の隙間を減少させた場合, 果実の回転は有意に減少した。さらに, フルーツキャップへの粘着性付与は, 振動による果実の回転抑制に有効であることが明らかとなった。そこで, これらの組み合わせが振動による果実の外観や硬度の変化に及ぼす影響を調査したところ, これらの処理により果皮変色の発生は軽減されなかったが, 毛じの剥離および果実硬度の低下は有意に軽減された。以上より, 箱内底面の隙間を減らし, フルーツキャップへ粘着性を付与することにより, 輸送振動により引き起こされるモモ果実における毛じの剥離や硬度低下の発生を軽減することができると考えられた。

包装形態の違いがイチゴの損傷発生に及ぼす影響について検討した。通常包装では, 加振により短時間で果托の広範囲に損傷が発生した。また, 通常包装と比較して損傷を軽減するとされる平詰め包装においても, 損傷は短時間で発生し, 発生割合および損傷面積についても通常包装とほとんど変わらなかった。一方, 縦詰め包装では損傷の発生割合は加振時間とともに緩やかに増加し, 通常包装と比較し, 損傷の発生が減少する傾向がみられた。特に, 損傷面積は通常包装の3割程度であった。したがって, 果托同士の接触を回避し, 緩衝材やパックとの接触を最低限に抑えることができる縦詰め包装は, イチゴの輸送中の損傷を回避する包装方法として有効であると考えられた。また, 縦詰め包装において損傷部位は果托の赤道付近から萼部位に集中することが明らかとなったことから, これらの部位における損傷を軽減するために, 果托の支持に用いる底面緩衝材の材質について検討した。その結果, 密度8.7×10^-2g・cm^-3および25%圧縮応力2.69×10^-2MPaをもつゴムスポンジを用いた場合, 損傷の発生割合および損傷面積が最小となった。

Life cycle of rice (produced by vessel, medium-boiler and untreated process) was evaluated to determine environmental load and production cost of rice in Bangladesh. All the production processes have a negative effect on the environment and the environmental load varies from process to process. The inventory results (energy consumption and CO2 emission) gradually decreased from the vessel to the untreated process (vessel > medium-boiler > untreated). The untreated process was found to be both the environmentally sustainable and cost effective process compared to the others, if milled rice is consumed instead of head rice (whole kernels after milling). A change in production process and consumption pattern (parboiled to untreated rice) would help to conserve 8-29% primary energy (biomass) and abate 2.5-9.6 million tons CO2 emission per year in Bangladesh. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

近年、食品製造加工における規格基準はリスク科学に基づいて策定されるべきとする考え方が、急速に一般化している。適切な品質表示や食品トレーサビリティシステムの導入は、消費者の信頼確保のために重要な意味がある。近年、多くの食品輸出国はこれらの概念に対してかなり興味を持っており、消費者の安全と信頼を確保するためにこれらを食品行政システムに導入しようと試みている。本報はまず食の安全をめぐる国際状況につき概説した上で、近年の台湾における取り組みにつき、現地聞き取り調査をもとに説明した。

本研究は，卸売市場流通の環境影響の特徴比較を目的として，車両サイズと輸送モードを考慮した卸売市場流通のLC-CO2の解析を行い，卸売市場流通の特徴である大量輸送の環境負荷低減効果を調べた。さらに，LC-CO2の解析を比較することにより卸売市場流通における環境負荷低減の可能性を検討し，卸売市場流通における二酸化炭素排出削減につながるいくつかの方策を提案した。

食肉の生産は世界的に増大している。日本においては、食肉の消費も増加しており、FAO統計によれば、食肉消費量は、92g／人／日（牛肉17g、豚肉35g、鶏肉40g）である。現在、持続性の高い生産消費の方向へ我々のライフスタイルを変更する必要があることに関する認識が高まっている。したがって、食肉を含む食品について、その生産、流通、消費に係わる環境負荷と資源の利用に関する解析を実施することが求められている。本研究においては、食肉のライフサイクル分析を行い、CO2の削減可能性について検討した。食肉のLC-CO2を比較すると、牛肉＞豚肉＞鶏肉であった。また、食肉生産に関わるコスト分析を行い、より低コスト、低環境負荷となる食肉の消費条件について解析した。