Professor, School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Director of Engineering Research Center of Fruit and Vegetable Processing and Education Department. In recent years, he has presided over more than 30 national and provincial research projects, and participated in the “food safetyâ€, “deep processing of agricultural productsâ€, “food processing†and “modern logistics of agricultural products†of the national “10th Five-Year Plan†and “Eleventh Five-Year Planâ€. Planning and demonstration of major science and technology projects and the development of science and technology projects in the food sector of the National “863†Program. The leader of the research group: Hu Xiaosong.
Project Background: “Food Non-thermal Processing Technology and Equipment†is a topic in the field of modern agricultural technology in the “863†program of the “Eleventh Five-Year Planâ€. It is also a hot topic in the international food engineering discipline and high-tech field of food manufacturing. After 4 years of hard work, the research team has developed 12 new devices, applied for and obtained 51 patents, including 34 invention patents, 17 practical patents, 138 papers, and 10 new products. At the same time, through the rational allocation of resources and the integration of advantages, the organic innovation and non-thermal processing technology innovation alliance of technological innovation has been formed, and the non-thermal processing technology research platform has been initially established, and a relatively complete non-thermal processing technology research system has been constructed. Food non-thermal processing technology research and the development of ultra-high pressure food industry provide effective support.
Hu Xiaosong, professor of China Agricultural University and director of the Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education of Fruits and Vegetables, is proud of his own topic of “Food Non-Heat Processing Technology and Equipmentâ€. He introduced, "The 'Food Non-thermal Processing Technology and Equipment' project was launched in 2006, and passed the acceptance on August 10 this year. After four years of hard work, we broke the 20-year blockade monopoly in developed countries such as Europe and the United States. Thermal processing has its own technology and equipment."
Non-thermal processing is an emerging food processing technology, mainly used for sterilization and blunt enzymes, including ultra-high pressure, high-voltage pulsed electric field, high-pressure carbon dioxide, ionizing radiation, pulsed magnetic field and other technologies for food processing. Compared with the traditional "hot processing" technology, food "non-thermal processing" has a low sterilization temperature and can better maintain the inherent nutrient composition, texture, color and freshness of the food. At the same time, non-thermal processing has less environmental pollution, less processing energy and pollution emissions. Therefore, the application of this technology in the food industry has become a new growth point and driving force for the international food processing industry.
In recent years, developed countries have generally attached importance to the development of food non-thermal processing technology. In the fifth and sixth framework projects (FP5 and FP6), the EU has set up research funding for non-thermal processing technology. The FP6 framework project alone funds 23 million euros for two non-thermal processing projects. The United States has placed more emphasis on non-thermal processing technology research, including the US military, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration. At present, non-thermal processing technology has been rapidly applied in developed countries. The United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and other countries have passed the food safety evaluation of non-thermal processing technology, and approved the technology for commercial applications in the fields of fruits and vegetables, meat products, aquatic products.
Hu Xiaosong told reporters that the Ministry of Science and Technology has been paying close attention to food non-thermal processing technology. During the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period, a research plan for non-thermal processing technology for foods such as ultra-high pressure technology was established, and the national "863" during the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period. In the plan and the science and technology support plan, special research is given on the research of non-thermal processing technology and equipment, and key support is given. The topic of “Food Non-thermal Processing Technology and Equipment†of China Agricultural University was also launched under such a background.
China has developed a high-density supercritical carbon dioxide (HPCD) sterilization device, a high-intensity electric field (HIEF) equipment prototype, a strong magnetic field and an ultrasonic (US) sterilization device by implementing the "food non-thermal processing technology and equipment" project. A series of non-thermal processing technologies and equipments with independent intellectual property rights, and completed the sterilization and blunt enzyme mechanism, effect evaluation and kinetic analysis of five types of non-thermal processing technologies, as well as analyzing the sensory quality and rheology of foods. Based on the evaluation of nature, nutrition and safety, research tasks such as the establishment of non-thermal processing technology and optimization of technical parameters.
In addition, the research team's breakthrough in the research and development and industrial application of ultra-high voltage technology equipment is attracting attention. The scientific and technical personnel not only developed the water-based medium with independent intellectual property rights and localization rate of more than 95%, the frame direct-sealed, large-capacity and intelligent commercial food ultra-high pressure processing technology and equipment, but also developed large-scale cylinder hot-sleeve high pressure. New technology for cabin processing.
It is worth mentioning that through the implementation of this subject, China has also developed the technology and technology of ultra-high pressure processing canned yellow peach, strawberry juice, carrot juice, kimchi and other foods, which is the industrial application of ultra-high pressure technology in food processing. The basic data is provided.
“The 'food non-thermal processing technology and equipment' project has produced significant economic benefits. Although the results of ultra-high pressure technology have been completed in just two years, the sales of commercial ultra-high pressure equipment has exceeded 50 sets (sets), and mass export has begun. It is estimated that in 2010, foreign exchange earned by export will exceed US$2.2 million, and domestic sales will exceed RMB80 million. The market prospect is very broad,†Hu Xiaosong said.
Experts believe that the research on the topic of "non-thermal processing technology and equipment for food" has made China a breakthrough in the frontier field of non-thermal processing, such as the international food science, especially in the manufacturing technology of supercharged systems and pressure systems for ultra-high pressure equipment. The breakthrough has not only broken the foreign monopoly monopoly, but also realized the industrial development and application of ultra-high voltage technology for the first time in China. These achievements indicate that China has achieved leap-forward development in the short-term development of non-thermal processing theory, key technology research, large-scale equipment development and industrial application, and the prospects are expected.
Vice Minister of Science and Technology Cao Jianlin pointed out at the project acceptance meeting that in the future, it is necessary to further strengthen the research and development of methods and methods for modern food equipment with original innovation, so that China's food equipment industry will form a new industrial economic growth point in the next few years.