Development and industrialization of pressure-processed foods

In response to current social needs for security, safety, and health, we would like to take this opportunity to present the utilization of high pressure in food processing. In view of our consumption-oriented society, which shows a preference for convenience, a new awareness is developing in the administration of food-related industries. And, as a perpetual theme of mankind, we continue to seek new forms of food processing which take the environment into consideration. Here, on the assumption that product development results from the innovation cycle, four virtual platforms are assumed; namely, the innovation platform, the concept platform, the engineering development platform, and the industrialization platform. The operations carried out on these platforms are introduced in the order of the processing. In addition, by giving an example of the development of our company's cooked high-pressure processed rice, the pressure energy recycling system and cost accounting are mentioned from the viewpoint of economics. As for the total cost relating to the high-pressure process, in U.S. Dollars, it costs approximately 1.25 cents for one package (300 ml) of product as the sum of depreciation expenses for machinery and building, electric power costs, maintenance expenses, and operation management expenses. Furthermore, there is the possibility that, in the future, a cost of less than 0.6 cents for 300 ml (0.2 cents per 100 ml) can be obtained by installing large-scale equipment. The same benefits are expected to become a reality in the case of applying high-pressure processing to other food products. In only the last year of the 20(th) century, it is significant that "pressure," as one of the state-transforming factors, be put into practical use in the field of dietary staples, as opposed to "heat" with a history of use by mankind for 3,000,000 years. In the field of dietary staples where high prices are not acceptable, our product of cooked high-pressure processed rice has been successively marketed. This demonstrates that the consumer has economically supported high pressure processing. It is certain that utilization of high-pressure processing will be extended to a wide range of food processing. For example, the fields of noodles, bread, daily household dishes, liquor, vegetables, fruits, and frozen foods will be brought to market in the future as high-pressure processed foods.