Flavor of Food

The deliciousness of food is influenced by various conditions such as food culture and eating experience, but among the five human senses, taste information, as well as tactile information and smell information, play an important role. In our laboratory, we are conducting research on aroma, which is olfactory information, and texture, which is tactile information.

Production of mono-dispersed emulsion and its physical properties

Foods have various forms, and one of them is an emulsion, which consists of an aqueous phase and an oil phase. By using this emulsion, it is possible to develop foods with new textures and apply it to non-foods. In our laboratory, we are conducting research on the production of emulsions and their changes in physical properties.

Development of microwave food processing technology

Microwave heating is expected to reduce the energy consumption of many industrial processes. Microwave heating is widely used in household cooking utensils and as a food heating device. However, conventional microwave oven-type microwave devices use magnetrons, which are poorly controllable, making precise heating control difficult. In recent years, the development of high-power semiconductor oscillators such as GaN has made precise material heating possible. We are developing catalytic carbohydrate conversion, functional molecule extraction, and freeze-drying acceleration technology using the new microwave heating technology.

Development of microwave chemical processes

Irradiation of electromagnetic waves such as microwaves can promote various chemical reactions by creating a thermally non-equilibrium reaction field. Dielectric heating can save energy by accelerating reactions and lowering temperatures in the chemical processes. We are conducting research to elucidate the mechanism of the reaction acceleration by microwaves and developing microwave processes for the efficient chemical conversion processes of carbon resources such as biomass into hydrogen, chemical products, and high-performance materials.

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