JPH0815140A - Grain evaluation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize total evaluation of grain based on measurements by measuring the sanitariness for predicting the number of microorganism along with the apparent grade and internal quality inspection. CONSTITUTION:A grain quality measuring means 1 lifts a single grain fitted in a disc 6 rotating about an inclining shaft 5 and an optical measuring mechanism 7 irradiates the grain with visible light and receives a reflected light or a transmitted light. An internal quality measuring means 2 analyzes the components and physical and chemical properties or the qualitative characteristic values, e.g. the taste, of uncrushed unpolished rice by near infrared spectroscopic analysis. A sanitariness measuring means 3 previously fills a measuring container 18 placed in a dark measuring room 17 with a liquid for separating and extracting microorganisms from the grain. The concentration of adenosyl triple phosphate is then measured by injecting luciferin-luciferase through an injection port 22 of the measuring room 17 and the number of microorganisms is estimated. A computor 4 averages the measurements received from the measuring means 1, 2, 3 and determines the grade, quality and sanitary aspect.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a grain evaluation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the problems to be solved by the invention
Means for measuring the appearance quality and internal quality of grains using a technique of spectroscopic analysis using visible light or near infrared light have been known. However, in recent years, not only the internal and external quality of these grains but also the hygiene evaluation is highly demanded. In particular, no technique has been found for measuring the presence or number of microorganisms (eg, molds) attached to grains.

[0003]

Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided an appearance quality measuring means 1 for irradiating a grain sample with visible light and measuring reflected light or transmitted light thereof to perform appearance quality verification.
Internal quality measuring means 2 for irradiating the grain sample with near-infrared light, measuring the amount of reflected light or transmitted light to measure quality characteristic values such as component content, deterioration index or taste value, and performing internal quality test; And a hygiene degree measuring means 3 for predicting the presence or absence of microorganisms while confirming the reaction using a substance that reacts with, and a grain evaluation device provided with an evaluation means for comprehensively evaluating the grain based on these measurement results. And

[0004]

Effects of the Invention: A step of irradiating a grain sample such as brown rice with visible light by the appearance quality measuring means 1 and measuring the reflected light or transmitted light thereof to perform appearance quality verification, and an internal quality measuring means 2 for the grain sample. The near-infrared ray is irradiated onto the sample and the amount of reflected light or transmitted light thereof is measured to measure the quality characteristic values such as the content of components, the deterioration index or the taste value, and the internal quality test is carried out. In addition to the conventional appearance quality and internal quality, the evaluation means that comprehensively evaluates the grain based on these measurement results, in addition to the conventional appearance quality and internal quality, is provided. Since it is possible to measure the hygiene level, it becomes possible to meet the needs of consumers when purchasing grain.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The apparatus comprises a grain quality measuring means 1, an internal quality measuring means 2, a hygiene evaluation means 3, and a computer 4 having a built-in arithmetic control section and having an external input means and a display section. The computer 4 is connected to the grain processing section of each of the measuring means 1, 2 and 3 and outputs the operation command signal of each section or inputs each measurement data signal.

In the grain processing section, the grain quality measuring means 1 has a mechanism for fitting a grain (brown rice in the example) to a disc 6 which rotates around an inclination axis 5 and lifting the grain, and irradiating visible light. And a light measuring mechanism 7 including a light receiving unit for receiving reflected light or transmitted light from the grain. Based on the measurement data from the light measuring mechanism 7, the arithmetic control unit of the computer 4 is capable of individually judging the quality of brown rice, for example, high-quality brown rice, barrels, immature grains, colored grains and the like.

Further, the internal quality measuring means 2 is constructed so as to be able to analyze the quality characteristic values such as the components and physicochemical characteristics of unmilled brown rice or the taste by the near infrared spectroscopic analysis method. The spectroscopic device body 8 and the detection unit 9 are provided. The detection unit 9 is provided with a sample cell 10 containing a grain sample to be analyzed so as to move up and down. It is a structure that receives the supply of sorted brown rice. That is, the above-mentioned quality measuring means 1 constitutes a jetting means (not shown) from the back surface side so that the discharging positions a, b, c, ... Are different depending on the quality. It is intended to look into the cell 10. The sample cell 10 stands by at an appropriate position on the way down and is subjected to spectral analysis by irradiation with near infrared rays. In the detection unit 9, one or both of a transmitted light detector that detects transmitted light of the sample and a reflected light detector that detects reflected light are mounted. When the sample cell 10 is lowered to the lowest position, the lower opening / closing plate 10a is automatically opened so that the contained sample can be discharged downward. The light source 11, the reflecting mirror 12, the diffraction grating 13, and the motor 15 for driving the diffraction grating 14 are arranged in the spectroscopic device body 8. The calculation control unit of the computer 4 which receives the absorbance signal of the transmitted light or the reflected light determines the protein content, the components such as amylose, the fatty acid degree, the stickiness, the taste value, etc. based on the calibration curve created in advance and stored in the storage unit. Processing such as obtaining quality characteristic values is performed. The spectroscopic unit of the near-infrared spectroscopic analysis device is not limited to the diffraction grating, but may be a fixed filter, a tilted filter, or a semiconductor laser.

Below the sample cell 10 is a hopper 1.
6 is provided. The hopper 16 is a part of the hygiene degree measuring means 3, and includes a measuring chamber 17 formed in a dark room, measuring containers 18, 18 ... Sequentially arranged at predetermined intervals, and a rod-shaped magnetic body. From the rotors 19 and 19 which are placed in the respective measurement containers 18 and rotate on the bottom surface of the container by appropriately receiving magnetism from the outside when reaching the measurement chamber 17, from the conveyor 20 which carries the measurement containers 18 and horizontally transfers them. Nari, measurement room 1
A photoelectric element 21 capable of detecting fluorescence is provided at an appropriate position of 7.
In addition, the measurement container is previously filled with a bacterium extract solution (for example, Tris-HCl buffer solution) for separating and extracting microorganisms from the grain.

A luciferin-luciferase injection port 22 is provided at an appropriate place above the measurement chamber 17. In general, there is a proportional relationship between the number of microorganisms and adenosyl triphosphate (ATP), which is one of the energy substances self-held by living organisms, and it can be quantified using luciferin-luciferase that consumes ATP and emits light. The luciferin-luciferase is used to measure the ATP concentration, and the measurement data is used to estimate the number of microorganisms.

Reference numeral 23 denotes an opening / closing plate for opening / closing the transparent container 24 covering the hygiene degree measuring means 3 at the starting end side of the conveyor 20 to take in / out the measuring container 18, and 24 is also provided at the terminal end side of the conveyor 20 for taking in / out the measuring container 18. It is an opening and closing plate. The arithmetic control unit of the computer 4 inputs the measurement data of each of the measuring means 1, 2 and 3 and calculates the average value of each of the measurement data to determine the quality, the quality and the hygiene. It is used as data. For example, as a quality measurement result, a sizing ratio m in a predetermined number N of particles,
The ratio of the broken grain n, the ratio of the colored grain p, and the like are calculated, and it is determined which of the grade evaluations based on the inspection standard is applicable. As the quality measurement result, the taste value Q from each component analysis result and the deterioration index value R from the fatty acid degree are calculated,
The hygiene degree evaluation value Z (the number of microorganisms) is calculated from the integral value of the fluorescence detection signal that consumes ATP and emits light within a predetermined time. These determination values or calculated values are immediately stored and displayed on the display unit 25. In addition, the calculation control unit calculates the comprehensive evaluation value T of the grain from these values. In this calculation method, each calculated value is weighted in consideration of the fact that it is food, and is set as the total evaluation value T. For example, T = k ₁ · f (grade) + k ₂ · Q−k ₃ · Z (where f (grade) is a function of the grade according to the agricultural product evaluation standard, k
₁ <k ₂ <k ₃ or k ₂ <k ₁ <k ₃ ) The operation of the above example will be described.

A brown rice sample to be measured is placed on the disk 6 of the appearance quality measuring means 1, and after inputting the place of production, annual production (produced in XX year), variety, etc., output is made to drive the device. By the rotation of the disc 6, one grain of brown rice is fitted and rises, the transmitted light and the reflected light are detected by the light measuring mechanism 7, and the signals are input to the computer 4, and when the predetermined number of grains is reached, the disc 6 The rotation is stopped, and the ratio is calculated for each grade determined for each brown rice and stored in the storage unit.

Among the grains discriminated by the appearance quality measuring means 1, the unpolished rice equivalent is successively supplied into the sample cell 10 during the measurement by the measuring means 1. As soon as the measurable amount is secured by this supply, the spectroscopic device body 8 is driven to start the spectroscopic analysis. Here, the components such as protein and fatty acid content in the grain are measured in a non-destructive state or the complex for measuring the target quality. The arithmetic control unit of the computer 4 inputs these measurement data, calculates the taste value and the deterioration index based on a preset calculation formula, and stores them in the storage unit. Here, the value of the component such as protein itself can be similarly stored.

Finally, the brown rice in the sample cell 10 is supplied to the measuring container 18 of the hygiene evaluation means 3 standing by below, but it touches the already-extracted bacterial extract, and then the measuring container 18 measures. When reaching the portion 17, magnetism is imparted to the rotor 19 from the outside and the rotor 19 rotates at the bottom of the container, so that the brown rice inside is agitated and the microorganisms are separated and extracted. After this, the message "Please insert luciferin-luciferase." Is displayed on the display. At this time, the conveyor 20 is stopped.

When luciferin-luciferase is injected from the injection port 22, fluorescence is emitted, and this fluorescence is detected for, for example, 30 seconds, the integrated value thereof is calculated, and the ATP concentration is converted into. The computer 4 previously converts the ATP concentration and the number of microorganisms into the number of microorganisms and stores it. The stored contents stored in the above procedure are called, all are displayed, and at the same time, the comprehensive evaluation value T is converted and displayed. This display content can be printed on a printer or the like and can be displayed on the sachets that are packed in sachets when over-the-counter sales of polished rice are carried out, so that consumers can use it as a basis for purchasing selection. Is.

In the display, the contents that can be stored in each storage unit and displayed on the display unit 25 may be displayed in order. In addition to the above-mentioned point formula calculated from each value, the comprehensive evaluation value T is the stored content A,
The comprehensive evaluation may be divided into three ranks such as B and C and listed as a comprehensive evaluation. For example, the outer parts are 1st, 2nd, etc.
It is 2 out of 1 and 2 and the taste evaluation value is high (80 points or more)
・ Medium (65 to 79 points) ・ Low (64 points or less) 65
When the hygiene evaluation results indicate that there are no microorganisms, a very small amount, and no attention is required, the overall evaluation is set to "B-B-A".

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the target of internal quality measurement is such that only the unpolished rice is taken out based on the measurement result of the grain quality measuring means 1. However, it may be carried out for other assorted grains, or the grain before the quality determination. May be targeted. The same applies to the hygiene evaluation device 3. Further, since the grain to be measured is unmilled brown rice, it can be applied not only immediately before the rice polishing process or during the storage of brown rice, but also in the voluntary verification process at the grain joint drying and preparation facility or the brown rice shipping stage.

Further, the hygiene degree measuring means 3 has a structure in which the number of microorganisms can be estimated from the ATP concentration in the above-mentioned embodiment, but it may have a form capable of measuring the residual pesticide. In addition,
The internal quality measuring means 2 is configured such that the taste evaluation value is calculated by near-infrared spectroscopic analysis of the components of grain and the like, and the measurement value is an absolute evaluation value. However,
Grain harvest and its quality are easily affected by the weather conditions of the year, and for example, the amount of sunshine and the cumulative temperature affect the components. Therefore, according to the conventional method, the score and the like for evaluating grains with different meteorological conditions greatly depend on the year, and are not suitable for showing relative superiority or inferiority in the year. Therefore, by setting the taste evaluation value in consideration of the above-mentioned weather conditions, it is possible to evaluate rice under different weather conditions under the same conditions. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, an evaluation value line that is established in a predetermined relationship is obtained in a three-dimensional map composed of the amount of sunshine, integrated temperature, and taste evaluation value, and the sunshine of the grain to be measured is obtained. The position on this line is determined from the amount and the integrated temperature, and the taste evaluation value corresponding to that point is determined.
Although this value is the taste evaluation value of absolute evaluation, the highest value of the relevant year is calculated by the same method. This is assumed to be 80 points. That is, this year means that the absolute evaluation value of 80 points is the highest even if the weather is bad and the cultivation is good compared to the usual year. Then from the 3D map in the same way 60
When you get a score for a point, the relative score for this year is 75
This is the point (Fig. 6). With such a calculation, the relative evaluation value for the relevant year can be calculated,
This is convenient because it is possible to obtain a relative evaluation score out of a perfect score and not rely on extreme numbers.

In general, the degree of fatty acid is used for determining old rice, and the determination of old rice can be further clarified by examining the relationship between the degree of fatty acid and the amount of maltose. That is, the degree of fatty acid P ₁ (when the degree of fatty acid increases, when brown rice is whitened and its iodine coloration starts to decrease on a plane in which the horizontal axis is the degree of brown rice fatty acid and the vertical axis is the amount of brown rice maltose Since fatty acid enters the helical structure of starch, iodine coloration tends to decrease), and fatty acid content measurement limit value P ₂ (about 80).
mgKOH / 100g) and P ₁ , P ₂
If areas A, B, C, and D are divided by the vertical axis passing through, A is evaluated as new rice and D is evaluated as old rice. In addition, it becomes A, B, C, D in order from the new rice. Conventionally, it is difficult to find a qualitative difference when only the degree of fatty acid is used as the measurement of old rice, but the judgment of old rice becomes clearer by adding the judgment of the amount of maltose.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between ATP concentration and the number of microorganisms.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of sunlight and the taste value.

FIG. 6 is a relationship diagram of an absolute evaluation value and a relative evaluation value of taste.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the degree of brown rice fatty acid and the amount of brown rice maltose.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Grain quality measuring means, 2 ... Internal quality measuring means, 3 ... Hygiene degree evaluation means, 4 ... Computer, 5 ... Inclination axis, 6 ... Disk, 7 ... Optical measuring mechanism, 8 ... Spectroscopic device main body, 9 ... Detection part Unit, 10 ... Sample cell, 11 ... Light source, 12 ... Reflecting mirror, 13 ..., 14 ..., 15 ... Motor, 16 ... Hopper, 1
7 ... Measuring chamber, 18 ... Measuring container, 19 ... Rotor, 20 ... Conveyor, 21 ... Photoelectric element, 22 ... Injection port, 23, 24 ...
Open / close plate, 25 ... Display

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An appearance quality measuring means 1 for irradiating a grain sample with visible light and measuring reflected light or transmitted light to perform appearance quality verification; and a near infrared ray irradiating the grain sample, and its reflected light amount or transmitted light amount. Internal quality measuring means 2 for measuring internal characteristics by measuring quality characteristic values such as component content, deterioration index or taste value, and microorganisms while confirming the reaction by using a substance that reacts with viable bacteria. And a hygiene degree measuring means 3 for predicting the degree of the above, and a grain evaluation device provided with an evaluation means for comprehensively evaluating the grain based on these measurement results.