JP4360610B2 - Meat sample collection and storage equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for collecting a small piece as a sample from meat such as beef immediately after slaughtering and storing it for a long period of time, and an instrument for use in collection and storage.

  Recently, edible cattle are contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) due to feed, and it has become a worldwide problem that people who ingest this cause mad cow disease. In addition, the misrepresentation of the production area triggered by this has also become a major problem in the food industry. By the way, it is a minimum requirement that not only edible cattle but also food is harmless for the health of the human body, but if food contaminated with harmful substances, viruses or bacteria is discovered, It is very important that the food is identified, the tissue analysis is performed reliably, and the contamination route is traced for subsequent rapid processing and investigation of the cause. This requires that the food provided to the market be in a state where it can be easily analyzed at a later date.

  However, at present, if beef is taken as an example, the breeding cattle are marked with earmarks immediately after birth for each individual, but the history is recorded, but other raw meat such as pigs and chickens are managed in this way. Not. Furthermore, even in the case of beef, when slaughtering at a processing plant, the neck is cut first, but in this way, the part with the ear tag and the meat part are separated, so a large amount is produced every day. In a factory where the above processing is performed, there is a possibility that the history may be misidentified, which hinders subsequent tracking. In addition, it is impossible to identify viruses by document management alone. When reliable identification is required, the presence of actual samples such as muscle tissue is indispensable. In addition, since samples are required to be stored for a long time, it is preferable to manage them at room temperature because of problems in facilities and equipment. If it does so, it will also be necessary to avoid the corruption at the time of storage.

  The present invention facilitates the storage of tissue samples necessary for tracking meat diseases and genetic factors as described above, a series of methods for long-term preservation of meat samples, and collection of meat samples. However, the object is to disclose a simple instrument for storage.

    In the present invention, in order to achieve the above-described object, a means for collecting a required amount of meat sample from the lean portion of the edible meat after slaughtering / demolition and storing the collected meat sample for a certain period is used. In addition, the collected meat sample was dried prior to the storage process, and the dried meat sample was stored. By drying the meat sample prior to storage, quality deterioration during the storage period can be prevented with only simple equipment. In addition, the meat sample is taken from the neck of the carcass of the edible meat. The neck is a portion where the lean body is relatively exposed, and the lean portion that is used for DNA analysis of tissues that will be required in the future can be easily collected. The meat sample was presumed to be a neck red that is relatively easy to collect. However, if it is a site that can be subjected to DNA analysis in the future, it is not limited to the neck red, but other parts or fat. However, this is not excluded.

  On the other hand, as an instrument to be used for this, a configuration comprising a blade for collecting a piece of meat sample from a carcass, a base on which the blade is provided, and a capsule for containing the piece of meat sample detachably attached to the base is adopted. It was decided to. With this means, since the storage capsule for storing the blade and the meat sample can be removed, only the capsule can be used for storage after the sample is collected, and the storage space can be saved. In particular, the means of making the blade of the blade into a circular arc shape or a circular shape in the longitudinal section was also used. When the blade body has an arc shape or a circular shape in the longitudinal section, the contact area of the blade with the flesh piece is reduced, the blade tip is concentrated at the contact point with the flesh piece, and the blade body functions to scrape the surface of the flesh piece, It will easily sink into the inside of the piece of meat.

And as a specific means, it consists of a bottomed cylindrical container body and a cap that seals the opening of the container body, and the container body side of the cap is provided with a step forming two high and low sectors, The fan-shaped portion is provided with a blade for collecting a piece of meat in an arc shape along the inner arc of the cap via a blade holder, and a meat sample containing a desiccant or an antiseptic in the container body. Was not altered. In this means, by operating the cap, the sample can be collected just by excising the meat piece with the blade provided in the arc shape, and if the cap is sealed to the container body as it is, the meat sample is stored without changing the quality. Will be realized. Moreover, when the said cap is divided into two and comprised with the cap main body and the blade accommodating part which accommodated the said blade in the bottomless cylindrical shape, the assembly in a manufacturing process is easy.

As another means, it comprises a container main body and a lid integrally provided on the container main body via a hinge, and an arc portion is provided on the distal end side of the container main body. A blade for collecting a piece of meat sample through a blade holder was provided along with a desiccant or a preservative in the container body so that the meat sample was not altered. A pair of claws for preventing opening are also provided at positions corresponding to the container body and the lid. With this means, after the container body is operated and a piece of meat is collected with the blade , the preserved state is realized by simply closing the lid without altering the meat sample . Moreover, the lid once closed is held by the claw and is not opened by the elasticity of the hinge.

  Furthermore, in the means in which the container body is provided with a desiccant container, the internal desiccant can store the sample at room temperature simply by placing the cap or lid in a predetermined position. Further, by adopting a means for providing a small IC chip in the accommodating capsule, a large amount of history data can be written, and a highly accurate inspection can be performed in the future.

    In the present invention, since the above-described method and the instrument used for the method are employed, the meat sample can be collected by a simple operation and can be stored for a required period. Even if it is necessary to check the physiological history at a later date, it is possible to reliably identify the piece of meat sample without causing misidentification.

  In the above-mentioned means, edible cattle are mainly used for collecting samples of samples, but in order to collect and store meat samples of wild captured animals if used for edible livestock such as pigs and chickens or food. It is of course possible to employ the method and apparatus of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. First, a method for collecting and storing a piece of meat sample will be described. As shown in the flow sheet of FIG. 1, a piece of meat is collected from carcasses that have been slaughtered and disassembled as a first process. In order to be able to extract DNA or separate attached bacteria from a sample stored in the future, the meat piece is made red as a sample. Therefore, the meat piece of the neck is selected as a portion where an appropriate amount of red meat can be collected relatively easily. Note that the collection site need not be strictly limited to the neck. The amount of sample to be collected is not particularly limited, but it must be the minimum amount necessary for various tests such as DNA analysis and component separation in the future. In general, 1 g per sample will be sufficient. In addition, although the inventors plan several embodiment about the instrument for extract | collecting, this structure is demonstrated later.

  The meat sample collected as described above subsequently proceeds to the preservation process. The necessary condition for storage is that the sample is not altered or spoiled within a predetermined period and, if necessary, is kept in a state suitable for a test such as DNA extraction. Examples of suitable storage means for this purpose include low temperature freezing and drying. A storage means of immersing in a chemical solution is not excluded, but in this case, it is relatively difficult to store for a long time in a state where the tissue does not deteriorate. In these storage means, in the case of refrigeration, it is necessary to always operate a large-scale refrigeration apparatus, and there are problems in terms of facilities and ordinary costs. On the other hand, as long as the sample is stored in a dry state, a configuration capable of maintaining the dry state for each sample is sufficient, so that the facility will be simpler than in the case of freezing.

  Next, a description will be given of an embodiment of a collection tool used when collecting a piece of meat sample from a carcass in the above-described process. As a form of collecting the meat sample, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the meat piece sample is collected from the neck portion of the carcass, but it is not limited to this, as described above. Therefore, the specific configuration of an appropriate collection tool may differ depending on the collection method and collection site.

  A piece of meat sample can be taken relatively easily when the red portion is exposed on the neck surface. FIG. 2 shows an example of a device suitable for this case. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical bottomed container body in which a desiccant such as silica gel is accommodated. Reference numeral 2 denotes a cap having a diameter capable of sealing the opening 1a of the container body 1. The cap 2 is provided with a step 3 in a fan shape of 180 degrees to form a lower fan shape 4 and a higher fan shape 5. The lower sector 4 is provided with a blade 6 having a structure along the inner arc of the cap 2. Reference numeral 7 denotes a flat-plate fan-shaped blade holder that can be stored in the lower fan-shaped section 4. In this embodiment, the fan shape is 180 degrees. However, the angle is not necessarily limited, and the angle is not limited as long as the piece of meat sample can be surely excised. FIG. 3 shows a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 2, in which the cap 2 is divided into two parts, and is constituted by a cap main body 8 that performs an original function and a bottomless cylindrical blade accommodating portion 9. In this way, assembly in the manufacturing process is easy. If this configuration is adopted, when the meat piece sample is cut out by the blade 6, the lower sector 4 of the sample functions as it is as the sample accommodating portion, so that it is sealed with respect to the container body 1. Only the desiccant such as silica gel contained in the container body 1 dries the meat sample. Therefore, room temperature storage is possible in this state. The desiccant is not limited to silica gel, and any other composition may be used as long as it does not alter the sample. In addition, the use of a preservative in place of the desiccant is not denied if the sample is prevented from being altered.

  Subsequently, another embodiment is shown in FIGS. In the figure, 11 is a container body, and 12 is a lid body integrally molded so that it can be sealed via the container body 11 and a hinge 13. An arc portion 14 is provided on the distal end side of the container body 11, and a blade 15 is provided along the inner arc. The blade 15 is stabilized by a flat-plate fan-shaped blade retainer 16 as in the first embodiment. Reference numeral 17 denotes a claw-like wall body that is used when the blade 15 is installed. A lid presser 18 is formed at one or a plurality of positions on the outer periphery so that the container body 11 and the lid body 12 are not opened by the elasticity of the hinge 13 when the lid body 12 is sealed at corresponding positions. In this structure, it is only necessary to cut the meat sample with the lid 12 opened as shown in FIG. 5 and then seal the lid 12. Note that a desiccant such as silica gel is accommodated in the space 19 of the container body 11. In addition, the desiccant can be provided in advance before excision of the meat sample as long as it can be fixed to the container body 11, but after the meat sample is excised, it is put into the space 19 immediately before sealing the lid 11. Sometimes. After the sample is collected, it is handled in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  The following is a further embodiment, and the instrument shown in FIG. 6 is composed of two separable parts, 21 is a meat sample collection tray, and a blade 22 is integrally provided at the tip portion. A knob 23 for supporting the rear end portion with a fingertip is formed. Reference numeral 24 denotes a meat sample storage capsule, and an opening 25 has a sealing lid 26 provided integrally therewith. The collection tray 21 and the storage capsule 24 are temporarily fixed by a known means such as adhesion. After the meat sample is collected, the storage capsule 24 is removed from the collection tray 21, and the collection tray 21 is discarded and only the storage capsule 24 is removed. It becomes the object of preservation. In addition, as a material of the instrument, it is preferable that the blade 22 is sharp blade steel or stainless steel in order to surely cut the meat sample, but other configurations are made of metal or resin. There is no particular question. As a necessary condition, the accommodation capsule 24 is only required to be a material suitable for long-term storage, and it is not necessary to interpret it in a limited manner as long as it can satisfy this requirement. A method of using this instrument is to cut a piece of meat sample from the surface of the carcass neck in a state where the storage capsule 24 is integrally provided on the collection tray 21 and drop it into the storage capsule 24 as it is, and then remove the storage capsule 24 from the collection tray 21. Remove and close the sealing lid 26. When the storage means is frozen, the storage capsule 24 is put into the freezing means so that the piece of meat sample does not deteriorate. On the other hand, when the storage means is dry, a desiccant such as silica gel is provided in advance in the storage capsule 24, or a small hole (not shown) is provided in the storage capsule 24 in advance and put into the dryer. The process of drying a meat sample can be illustrated.

  FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the sampling device, and a sampling device 32 is continuously attached to the opening of the bottomed cylindrical storage capsule 31. A blade 34 is provided at the opening tip 33 of the collection device 32, and a piece of meat sample is cut with the blade 34. Reference numeral 35 denotes a lid. After the meat piece sample is collected, the collection device 32 is detached, and the lid 35 is screwed or pushed in place of the collection device 32 to seal the accommodation capsule 31. In the embodiment, the blade 34 is provided over the entire circumference of the opening tip 33, but may be provided only in a part of the periphery to reduce the cost, and a straight blade may be bridged around the circumference. What is necessary for the blade 34 is that the piece of meat sample can be surely excised from the carcass, and if it is satisfied, its shape and the like are not restricted. In addition, about the preservation | save after collection | recovery of a meat piece sample, it is the same as that demonstrated in the previous Example.

  FIG. 8 shows still another embodiment of the sampling device, and shows a structure that is used only for sampling a piece of meat and is not provided with a storage capsule. In the figure, 41 is a handle, 42 is a U-shaped or U-shaped blade support provided following the handle 41, and 43 is a blade bridged at opposite ends of the blade support 42. The blade 43 is bridged in an arch shape so that the sample can be easily excised. Reference numeral 44 denotes a wall provided on the back side of the blade support portion 42 and has a function of holding the meat piece sample cut by the blade 43 so as not to drop off. When using the collection tool of this structure, it is necessary to take out the piece of meat sample held by the blade 43 and the wall 44 with an appropriate tool and put it into a separately prepared storage capsule (not shown).

  The sampling instrument shown in FIGS. 2 to 8 described above has a structure in which a meat sample is cut with a blade.

  Next, FIG. 9 and subsequent figures show a sampling instrument configured to push or cut a meat sample instead of cutting it with a blade. FIG. 9 shows an example thereof, 51 is a U-shaped or U-shaped base, 52 is a cylinder provided on the upper jaw of the base 51, 53 is a piston installed inside the cylinder 52, and A blade 54 is provided at the tip at the circumference. A ring-shaped seat 55 is provided on the upper portion of the cylinder 52 so that the piston 52 is not fitted and the finger 52 can be easily put on. In this configuration, the meat piece sample is cut by sandwiching the lean portion of the neck into the space of the base 51 and pushing the piston 52. Note that this embodiment also requires a separate capsule. The material constituting these is not particularly limited, but the blade 54 employs blade steel or the like in order to facilitate cutting. However, a hard resin with a sharp tip may be used as long as it can be cut.

  FIG. 10 shows a structure in which cutting is performed with a blade, but an accommodation capsule is provided at the same time. In the figure, 61 is a storage capsule, 62 is a cutter provided around the opening of the storage capsule, and 63 is formed so as to slide along the cylindrical direction of the storage capsule 61 so that the blade 62 can be pressurized. It is a pressed piece. In this configuration, when the cut piece 63 is extended to expose the blade 62, and when the push piece 63 is pushed in such a manner that the lean comes into contact with the blade, a piece of meat sample is collected by the blade 62 and collected. The piece of meat sample falls into the containing capsule 61 as it is. Note that the pressing piece 63 also has a lid function with respect to the opening of the accommodating capsule 61. After the sample is collected, the pressing piece 63 can be made into a hermetic container by simply pushing it.

  In FIG. 11, the body 71 and the lid 72 can be integrally opened and closed by a hinge 73, and a blade 74 is provided at the distal end of the open portion of the lid 72. This is a modification of the second embodiment. it can. In this configuration, when the red portion is placed on the body 71 and the lid 72 is closed, the blade 74 pierces the red body, and the meat piece sample is accommodated simultaneously with the closure. That is, in the configuration of FIG. 11, the body 71 and the lid 72 function as an accommodating capsule after the meat sample is collected. Subsequent storage is the same as described in the above-described embodiments.

  FIG. 12 shows a further modification of the embodiment of FIG. 11, in which the structure in which the body 81 and the lid 82 are integrated by the hinge 83 is not changed, but the blade 84 is provided to protrude from one side of the body 81 side. is there. Also in this modified example, the body and the lid constitute an accommodating capsule at the same time as the lid is closed.

  FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment. A bottomed inner box 92 is slidably accommodated in an outer box 91, and a cutter 93 is attached to an open surface of the inner box 92. Is closed, the red meat is cut by the edge 94 of the open upper end of the outer box 91 and the blade 93, and at the same time, a piece of meat sample is accommodated in the inner box 92. Therefore, if the relationship between the outer box 91 and the inner box 92 is properly sealed, it can be stored as it is.

  FIG. 14 shows still another embodiment. A slit 102 is provided on the tip side of the cap 101, and an arcuate blade 103 is inserted and fixed in the slit 102. A pressing piece 104 extending linearly is provided. In this configuration, one end of the pressing piece 104 is cantilevered and fixed to the slit 102, and the other end is flexible. Therefore, after the blade 103 is submerged in the carcass, the pressing piece 104 is fingered. Press down to scrape off the meat pieces. This is stored and stored in the same configuration as the container body shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a modification of FIG. 14, and a protrusion 112 formed integrally with the cap is provided on the tip end side of the cap 111. Then, on the front end side of the protruding portion 112, a storage portion 114 for the arcuate cutter 113 and a pressing portion 115 are provided at positions corresponding to the inner arc of the cutter 113. In this configuration, if the sample is excised with the blade 113, the sample is held between the blade 113, the pressing portion 115, and the wall surface formed on the back side. The pressing portion 115 is flexible from the protruding portion 112 through the hinge portion. FIG. 16A shows a bent state, and FIG. 16B shows a non-bent state. This usage is basically the same as that of FIG. Then, similarly to the example of FIG. 14, it is stored and stored in the container main body shown in FIG.

  The apparatus of the above-described embodiment is configured to be used only for collecting a piece of meat sample and the other is used not only for collecting a piece of meat sample but also for storage. Affix a label with a history of meat sample on the containing capsule. Further, if a small IC chip is attached instead of the label, a larger amount of history data can be written, which contributes to the object of the present invention. In addition, if the various containers described above are contaminated with bacteria or the like before collecting the meat sample, the reliability of the sample itself is impaired. Therefore, as a usage, it is preferable to sterilize each container by sealing with a synthetic resin pouch or the like before exposure to gamma ray irradiation, exposure to ethylene oxide gas, or electron beam irradiation. Storage after collection is preferably performed by an appropriate method so as not to be exposed to bacteria.

  For example, an effective specimen can be provided when beef cattle are contaminated with BSE, or when the presence or absence of BSE is confirmed by random sampling afterwards. Moreover, the applicability is not limited to the inspection of BSE in beef cattle, and can be applied to meat in general.

Flow sheet showing the steps of the method of the present invention Overall perspective view according to the first embodiment of the device of the present invention Same overall perspective view of the first embodiment Overall perspective view according to a second embodiment of the device of the present invention Same perspective view of the second embodiment Overall perspective view according to a third embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to a fourth embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to the fifth embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to the sixth embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to seventh embodiment of the device of the present invention Whole perspective view concerning 8th Example of this invention instrument. Overall perspective view according to ninth embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to a tenth embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to the eleventh embodiment of the device of the present invention Overall perspective view according to a twelfth embodiment of the device of the present invention Usage explanatory diagram of the twelfth embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container main body 2 Cap 3 Level | step difference 4 Lower side fan shape 5 Higher side fan shape 6 Cutlery 7 Blade holder 8 Cap body 9 Cutlery accommodation part

Claims (5)

A meat sample collection and storage device for collecting a required amount of meat sample from slaughtered and dismantled meat and storing the collected meat sample for a certain period of time, comprising a bottomed cylindrical container body and an opening of the container body The container body side of the cap is provided with a step forming two high and low fan shapes, and the lower fan-shaped portion is formed into an arc shape along the inner arc of the cap via a knife presser. An apparatus for collecting and storing meat samples, wherein a blade for collecting a piece of meat sample is provided, and a desiccant or a preservative is housed in the container body so that the meat sample does not deteriorate . The meat sample collection and storage device according to claim 1, wherein the cap is divided into two parts, and the cap body is constituted by a cap main body and a blade accommodating portion that accommodates the blade in a bottomless cylindrical shape. A meat sample collection and storage device that collects a required amount of meat sample from slaughtered and dismantled meat and preserves the collected meat sample for a certain period of time, and is integrated with the container body via a hinge The container body is provided with a circular arc portion on the distal end side of the container body, and provided with a cutting tool for collecting a piece of meat sample through a blade pressing along the inner circular arc of the circular arc portion , An apparatus for collecting and storing meat samples, characterized in that a desiccant or a preservative is stored in the container body so that the meat samples are not altered . The meat sample collection and storage device according to claim 3, wherein a pair of claws for preventing opening are provided at positions corresponding to the container body and the lid, respectively. The meat sample collection and storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the container body is provided with a small IC chip.

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