Director of National Food Research Institute

Umeda Jimusho Ltd.

National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Asai Germanium Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Institute of Rheological Function of Food Co., Ltd.

Taiyo Seisakusho Co., Ltd.

Keiji Umeda

Koji Kawashima

Yositaka Nadachi

Akinori Noguchi

Seiichiro Isobe

Hiromu Shishido

Takumi Yamamoto

Yukitaka Nogami

Yukio Ogasawara

Masahiko Sudo

Susumu Kimura

Ryo Maruyama

Katsunobu Sakai

A method for heating and pasteurizing a material, comprising placing the material inside of a semi-sealed chamber at atmospheric pressure that contains an atmosphere produced by replacing air in the chamber with a gas component produced by spraying or injecting hot water droplets and steam at a temperature of at least 100&#xb0; C. into the chamber which is heated to a temperature of at least 100&#xb0; C. which is equal to or higher than the temperature of the sprayed hot water droplets and steam, which gas component has a humidity of at least 95% and contains no more than 1% oxygen; contacting said material to the gas component for exposing it to continual temperature variation during heating ranging from 10-50&#xb0; C. inside the chamber at temperature(s) ranging from 90-180&#xb0; C. for a time sufficient to heat or pasteurize it. An apparatus for performing this method.

Innovative pasteurization method, use thereof and apparatus

The present invention provides a novel water-soluble keratin derivative and applications thereof. Water-soluble keratin produced by the alkali treatment of feathers, and modified keratin, gives the following useful materials: (1) a high energy wave absorber, (2) a luminescent substrate, (3) a material weatherproofness improver, (4) a water repellant, and (5) a foaming agent.

Water-soluble keratin derivative and use thereof

A process for producing textural protein food material from krills which is characterized by adjusting the pH of the precipitate obtained by centrifuging the uniformly smashed flesh of the krills to not less than 10, returning the pH to near neutral and then freezing the precipitate to effect texturing.

Process for production of textural protein food material from krills

Bead-shaped immobilized enzymes are obtained by adding a solution containing an enzyme and at least one water-soluble monomer or polymer to a water insoluble or slightly soluble fluid to form a mixture having enzyme-containing beads therein, freezing the mixture at -200.degree. C to -5.degree. C and subjecting the resultant frozen mixture to ionizing radiation under aerobic conditions to polymerize the monomer or polymer and produce polymer beads containing enzymes immobilized therein. The polymer beads are strong enough to be packed in a column, and continuous enzyme reactions can be carried out with enzymes immobilized in the polymer beads.

Preparation of bead-shaped immobilized enzyme

Water-insoluble enzymes are prepared by mixing an enzyme with at least one water soluble monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, bisacrylamide, acrylic acid, sodium acrylate, potassium acrylate and calcium acrylate, freezing the resulting mixture at a temperature below about -5.degree.C and irradiating the frozen mixture with gamma rays or x-rays under aerobic conditions to polymerize said monomer and entrap the enzyme in the resulting polymer material. The frozen irradiated polymer material can be thawed at room temperature or can be lyophilized to produce a spongelike, membrane form that maintains its structure when immersed in water. Before freezing the enzyme and monomer mixture, an organic substance can be incorporated which promotes polymerization yield and protects the enzyme from radiation inactivation.

Preparation of water-insoluble enzymes

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Keiji Umeda