WO2019203252A1

WO2019203252A1 - Storage method and storage device for produce

Info

Publication number: WO2019203252A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/016408
Authority: WO
Inventors: 直也比留間
Original assignee: 株式会社前川製作所
Priority date: 2018-04-20
Filing date: 2019-04-17
Publication date: 2019-10-24
Also published as: JP7075807B2; JP2019190681A

Abstract

A produce storage method according to one embodiment comprises: a high-humidity storage step in which produce is held in a high-humidity state in a storage space in a storage container; a mold inspection step in which an inspection is carried out for the presence of mold generated on the produce in the high-humidity storage step; and a low-humidity storage step in which, when mold has been detected in the mold inspection step, the produce is stored in the storage space at a lower humidity than in the high-humidity state.

Description

Method and apparatus for storing fruits and vegetables

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for storing fruits and vegetables.

Currently, the fruits and vegetables for processing, whose demand is increasing, pass through the process of cultivation, pre-cooling, storage, processing, etc. to the hands of consumers. In processed foods in which the final product is a year-round supply, it is necessary to provide a stable supply throughout the year with stable quality for the fruits and vegetables used as raw materials. However, it may be unstable to secure fresh vegetables immediately after harvesting due to lack of goods due to unseasonable weather or rising prices, so it is necessary to store for a long period of several months.

The yield of fruits and vegetables stored decreases due to three main causes: atrophy due to drying, deterioration due to bruises and physiological disorders, and decay by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria. Refrigerators that have only a temperature control function and no humidity control function dry out after a storage period of several weeks, and the stored fruits and vegetables dries and shrinks, resulting in a decrease in yield.
As a means for solving this, there is a storage technique in which a humidifier or a high humidity cooler is provided in a storage, a refrigerator, or the like, and the storage space is maintained at high humidity. The present applicant has previously proposed an energy-saving air generator that can be applied to such storage technology and can stably supply high-humidity and low-temperature air to a storage, a refrigerator, or the like (Patent Literature). 1 and 2).

However, when fruits and vegetables are stored in a high humidity environment for a long period of time, mold is generated due to scratches and the like that occur during harvesting. Mold generation time varies depending on the fruits and vegetables. For example, it appears prominently after 2 months for cabbage and lemon and after 2 weeks for tomato. Damaged fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients and rapidly rot under high humidity.

Utility Model Registration No. 3192991 JP 63-091474 A

As described above, a high-humidity environment is suitable for preventing drying of fruits and vegetables and maintaining freshness, but conversely, fruits and vegetables with reduced resistance tend to have a very high risk of spoilage. In this way, maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables is contradictory to suppressing spoilage caused by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria.

One embodiment is intended to enable long-term storage by suppressing spoilage caused by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria while maintaining freshness of fruits and vegetables.

(1) The method for storing fruits and vegetables according to one embodiment is as follows:
A high-humidity storage process for keeping fruits and vegetables in a high-humidity state in the storage space of the storage;
In the high-humidity storage step, a rot inspection step for inspecting the presence or absence of rot occurring in the fruits and vegetables,
A low-humidity storage step for storing the fruits and vegetables at a lower humidity than the high-humidity state when the rot is detected in the rot inspection step;
Is provided.
According to the above method (1), when the fruits and vegetables are kept in a high humidity state in the storage during the storage period, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables is maintained, and the occurrence of spoilage caused by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria is detected. Uses a low humidity storage space to prevent spoilage. As a result, it is possible to suppress spoilage while maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables for a long time.

(2) In one embodiment, in the method of (1),
In the high-humidity storage process, the relative humidity of the storage space is controlled to be 95% or more.
According to the method (2), the freshness of the fruits and vegetables can be maintained by maintaining the relative humidity of the storage space at 95% or more in the high humidity storage step.

(3) In one embodiment, in the method of (1) or (2),
In the low humidity storage step, the relative humidity of the storage space is controlled to be 80% or more and 95% or less.
According to the above method (3), by setting the relative humidity of the storage space to 80 to 95% in the low-humidity storage step, it is possible to suppress the growth of mold, bacteria, etc., thereby suppressing the progress of decay. .

(4) In one embodiment, in any one of the methods (1) to (3),
In the rot inspection step, an operator visually inspects the presence or absence of rot.
According to the method (4), since the worker visually inspects the presence or absence of corruption in the corruption inspection step, the presence or absence of occurrence of corruption can be accurately detected.

(5) In one embodiment, in any one of the methods (1) to (3),
In the rot inspection step, the presence or absence of rot is inspected using a rot sensor capable of detecting rot generated in the fruits and vegetables.
According to the method (5) above, since the presence or absence of corruption is inspected using the corruption sensor, the monitoring burden on the worker can be reduced.

(6) In one embodiment, in the method of (5),
The rot sensor irradiates the fruits and vegetables with light having a wavelength of 220 nm to 800 nm and analyzes the reflected light reflected from the fruits and vegetables to determine the presence or absence of rot.
According to the method of (6) above, since the presence or absence of corruption is detected by spectral analysis using light in the above wavelength region extending from the ultraviolet light region to the visible light region as the decay detection means, protein absorption in the ultraviolet light region The occurrence of decay can be detected automatically and accurately from the characteristics and the difference in color between the fruits and vegetables in the visible light region and the resulting decay.

(7) In one embodiment, in any one of the methods (1) to (6),
In the high humidity storage step, the relative humidity of the storage space is maintained at 100% or less.
According to the method (7), in the high-humidity storage step, the relative humidity of the storage space is maintained at 100% or less, so that the occurrence of condensation in the storage space can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of rot in the fruits and vegetables due to the condensation adhering to the fruits and vegetables.

(8) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (1) to (7),
For the fruits and vegetables having a wound at the time of harvest, the wound is healed by holding it at a temperature range higher than the temperature of the storage space in the high-humidity storage step and the low-humidity storage step at the time of warehousing and capable of healing the wound. A healing process is provided.
According to the method (8), by performing the healing step, it is possible to heal wounds that have occurred in fruits and vegetables at the time of harvesting, and thereby it is possible to suppress spoilage that starts from the wounds.

(9) The fruit and vegetable storage device according to one embodiment includes:
A storage for storing fruits and vegetables;
An air conditioner capable of controlling the humidity of the storage space of the storage; and
Receiving an operation mode selection signal indicating whether to select a high humidity operation mode and a low humidity operation mode having a lower humidity than the high humidity operation mode so as to suppress the growth of rot occurring in the fruits and vegetables; A controller configured to control operation of the air conditioner in a selected operation mode;
Is provided.

According to the configuration of (9) above, the air conditioner is normally operated by the control unit in a high humidity operation mode in which the storage space is maintained in a high humidity state. Since it is controlled to operate in the humidity operation mode, it is possible to suppress the progress of decay while keeping the freshness of the fruits and vegetables. Thereby, the freshness of fruits and vegetables can be maintained over a long period of time, and the progress of decay can be suppressed.

(10) In one embodiment, in the configuration of (9),
An operation terminal that sends the operation mode selection signal to the control unit, comprising the operation terminal including an operation mode changeover switch that is operated when the fruit or vegetable is detected to be rotten,
The controller is
Based on the operation mode selection signal sent from the operation terminal, the air conditioner is configured to switch to either the high humidity operation mode or the low humidity operation mode.
According to the configuration of (10) above, the worker can send an air conditioner operation mode selection signal from the operation terminal. Therefore, the worker can set the operation mode of the air conditioner to an appropriate operation mode while visually observing the fruits and vegetables in the storage. Further, when the worker detects that the fruits and vegetables have been spoiled, the worker can switch to the low-humidity operation mode with the operation mode changeover switch.

(11) In one embodiment, in the configuration of (9),
A rotting sensor configured to be able to detect rotting that has occurred in the fruits and vegetables and to transmit a rotting detection signal to the control unit when the rotting is detected;
The controller is configured to operate the air conditioner in the low-humidity operation mode when the corruption detection signal is sent from the corruption sensor.
According to the configuration of (11) above, when the rot sensor detects rot occurring in the fruits and vegetables, the control unit switches the air conditioner to the low humidity operation mode, so detection of rot and switching to the low humidity operation mode. And can be done automatically.

(12) In one embodiment, in the configuration of (11),
The corruption sensor is
A light emitter for irradiating the fruits and vegetables;
A light receiver for receiving the reflected light reflected by the surface of the fruits and vegetables, and
A spectroscope for obtaining a spectrum of the reflected light received by the light receiver;
With
It is configured to detect a component derived from a microorganism in the second derivative value of the spectrum.
According to the configuration of (12) above, the rot sensor is configured to detect a component derived from microorganisms by spectrally analyzing the reflected light of the light irradiated to the fruits and vegetables, so that the occurrence of rot is automatically and accurately detected. It can be detected.

(13) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (9) to (12),
The high humidity operation mode is to operate the air conditioner so that the relative humidity of the storage space is 95% or more,
In the low humidity operation mode, the air conditioner is operated such that the relative humidity of the storage space is 80% or more and 95% or less.
According to the method of (13), in the high humidity storage process, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables can be maintained by controlling the relative humidity of the storage space to be 95% or more. In the low humidity storage process, By setting the relative humidity of the storage space to 80% to 95%, the progress of decay can be suppressed. As a result, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables can be maintained while suppressing deterioration and decay of the fruits and vegetables over a long period of time.

(14) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (9) to (13),
The air conditioner
A duct provided in the storage space and capable of forming an air flow;
A water storage tank provided in a lower portion of the duct;
A cooling coil provided in an air flow path in the duct or the water storage tank;
A refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the cooling coil; a watering part for watering the cooling coil;
Is provided.
According to the configuration of (14), when the temperature of the storage space of the refrigerator is 0 ° C. or higher, the temperature and humidity of the storage space are controlled by controlling the temperature and humidity of the air flow formed inside the duct. Can be controlled. Thereby, spoilage by microorganisms can be suppressed while keeping the freshness of fruits and vegetables for a long period of time.

(15) In one embodiment, in any one of the configurations (9) to (13),
The air conditioner
A duct formed therein with an air flow path communicating with the storage space;
A cooling coil provided in an air flow path in the duct;
A refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the cooling coil; an ice / snow zone formed in the air flow path and filled with ice or snow;
An ice making machine for supplying the ice or the snow to the ice-snow zone;
Is provided.
According to the structure of said (15), when the temperature of the storage space of a refrigerator is 0 degrees C or less, the temperature and humidity of a storage space are controlled by controlling the temperature and humidity of the air flow formed in the inside of the said duct. Can be controlled. Thereby, spoilage by microorganisms can be suppressed while keeping the freshness of fruits and vegetables for a long period of time.

According to some embodiments, spoilage caused by microorganisms can be suppressed while maintaining the freshness of the fruits and vegetables stored in the storage for a long time. Therefore, the yield reduction of fruits and vegetables can be suppressed even if stored for a long time.

It is a schematic diagram showing a fruit and vegetable storage device according to an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing a fruit and vegetable storage device according to an embodiment. It is process drawing of the storage method of the fruits and vegetables concerning one Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the corruption sensor which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a diagram which shows an example of the spectrum obtained by the corruption sensor. It is a diagram which shows an example of the spectrum obtained by the corruption sensor. It is a block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a diagram which shows the result of having obtained the transition in storage of the weight yield of fruit and vegetables by the test. It is a diagram which shows the result of having acquired the transition in storage of the decay rate of fruit and vegetables by a test. It is a diagram which shows the result of having obtained the transition in storage of the product yield of fruit and vegetables by the test.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in the embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative examples.
For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute arrangements such as “in a certain direction”, “along a certain direction”, “parallel”, “orthogonal”, “center”, “concentric” or “coaxial” are strictly In addition to such an arrangement, it is also possible to represent a state of relative displacement with an angle or a distance such that tolerance or the same function can be obtained.
For example, an expression indicating that things such as “identical”, “equal”, and “homogeneous” are in an equal state not only represents an exactly equal state, but also has a tolerance or a difference that can provide the same function. It also represents the existing state.
For example, expressions representing shapes such as quadrangular shapes and cylindrical shapes represent not only geometrically strict shapes such as quadrangular shapes and cylindrical shapes, but also irregularities and chamfers as long as the same effects can be obtained. A shape including a part or the like is also expressed.
On the other hand, the expressions “comprising”, “comprising”, “comprising”, “including”, or “having” one constituent element are not exclusive expressions for excluding the existence of other constituent elements.

1 and 2 show a fruit and vegetable storage device 10 (10A, 10B) according to some embodiments.
1 and 2, the storage device 10 (10A, 10B) includes a storage 12 for storing fruits and vegetables fv, an air conditioner 14 capable of controlling the humidity of the storage space S of the storage 12, and the operation of the air conditioner 14. And a control unit 16 for controlling. The control unit 16 receives the operation mode selection signal for determining the operation mode of the air conditioner 14, and operates the air conditioner 14 so that the air conditioner 14 is operated in the operation mode specified by the received operation mode selection signal. Control. The operation mode selection signal is a high-humidity operation mode for keeping the storage space in a high-humidity state, and the fruits and vegetables are controlled so as to suppress the progress of the decay when it is detected that the fruits and vegetables fv are spoiled by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria. There is a low humidity operation mode in which fv is stored at a lower humidity than the high humidity operation mode. The operation mode selection signal indicates which of these should be selected.

In the above configuration, when the fruits and vegetables fv are received, the air conditioner 14 is normally operated by the control unit 16 in a high humidity operation mode in which the storage space S is maintained in a high humidity state. And when it detects that the fruit and vegetables fv have spoiled, it drive | operates by the low humidity operation mode which maintains a low humidity state rather than a high humidity operation mode. Thus, since the air conditioner 14 is normally operated in the high humidity operation mode, it is possible to prevent the fruits and vegetables fv from being dried and to maintain the freshness of the fruits and vegetables fv. Further, when it is detected that the fruits and vegetables fv have been spoiled, the air conditioner 14 is operated in the low humidity operation mode, and the storage space S is kept at the low humidity, so that the progress of the spoilage can be suppressed. As a result, the fruits and vegetables fv can be kept fresh for a long time while suppressing wilting due to drying and rot caused by microorganisms.

Three elements of temperature, moisture, and nutrition are essential for the growth of mold and bacteria that cause spoilage. On the contrary, if one of these elements is missing, the growth of mold and bacteria is suppressed. be able to. Taking moisture as an example, the water required for breeding is called free water and is quantified by water activity Aw. For example, Aw ≧ 0.9 is required for bacterial growth, and Aw ≧ 0.75 is required for mold growth. The water activity Aw can also be expressed as a value obtained by putting pure water in a sealed container and dividing the vapor pressure (p) at the time of equilibrium of the headspace by the vapor pressure (p0) of water at the same temperature. This is the same as the value obtained by dividing the average relative humidity of the head space by 100. A relative humidity of 100% can be expressed as Aw = 1, and a relative humidity of 80% can be expressed as Aw = 0.8.
An environment with a relative humidity of 100% is optimal for maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables, but fruits and vegetables with reduced resistance have an increased risk of spoilage.

On the other hand, in an environment where the relative humidity is low, mold, bacteria, and the like are difficult to propagate, but the fruits and vegetables are dried and the yield is lowered.
Freshly harvested fruits and vegetables are resistant and will not rot even if scratched. However, as time passes, aging progresses and resistance decreases. The longer the storage period, the lower the resistance and the higher the disposal rate due to decay. In this way, maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables in long-term storage and suppressing rot are in conflict.

In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the storage device 10 (10 </ b> A) includes an operation terminal 18 that sends an operation mode selection signal to the control unit 16. The control unit 16 switches the air conditioner 14 to either the high humidity operation mode or the low humidity operation mode based on the operation mode selection signal sent from the operation terminal 18.
In one embodiment, the operation terminal 18 includes an operation mode changeover switch 20 that is operated when the fruits and vegetables fv stored in the storage space S are detected to be spoiled by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria. For example, when the worker discovers that the fruits and vegetables fv have been spoiled, the worker operates the operation mode changeover switch 20 to cause the control unit 16 to change the air conditioner 14 from the high humidity operation mode to the low humidity. An operation mode selection signal for switching to the operation mode can be sent.

According to this embodiment, since the operation mode selection signal can be transmitted from the operation terminal 18 to the control unit 16, the operator can send the operation mode selection signal of the air conditioner 14 from the operation terminal 18. Therefore, the worker can set the operation mode of the air conditioner 14 to an appropriate operation mode while visually observing the fruits and vegetables in the storage. In addition, when the worker detects that the fruits and vegetables have been spoiled, the worker can switch to the low-humidity operation mode by the operation mode switch 20.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the storage device 10 (10 </ b> B) includes a rotting sensor 22 that can detect rotting that has occurred in the fruits and vegetables fv. The corruption sensor 22 is configured to be able to transmit a corruption detection signal to the control unit 16 when the occurrence of corruption is detected. The controller 16 is configured to operate the air conditioner 14 in the low-humidity operation mode when a corruption detection signal is sent from the corruption sensor 22.
According to this embodiment, when the rotting sensor 22 detects rotting that has occurred in the fruits and vegetables fv, the control unit 16 switches the air conditioner 14 to the low humidity operation mode. Can be done automatically.

In the method for storing fruits and vegetables according to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, first, when the harvested fruits and vegetables fv has a wound at the time of harvest, a healing step S10 is performed as necessary. If the wound is left untreated, there is a risk that it will begin to rot early. In the healing step S10, the fruit and vegetable fv having a wound at the time of harvest is higher than the temperature of the storage space S in the high-humidity storage step S12 and the low-humidity storage step S18, which will be described later at the time of warehousing. Hold and heal wounds.
In one embodiment, the storage space S is maintained at a temperature of 25-35 ° C. for 2-4 days.
By performing healing process S10, the wound which generate | occur | produced in the fruits and vegetables fv at the time of a harvest can be cured, and this can suppress the corruption which generate | occur | produces from a wound.

After performing healing process S10 as needed, the air conditioner 14 is controlled to a high humidity operation mode, and the fruits and vegetables fv of the storage space S are kept in a high humidity state (high humidity storage process S12). And the presence or absence of rot which generate | occur | produces in fruit and vegetables fv is test | inspected, maintaining at a high humidity state (rotation inspection process S14). As an inspection method, an operator may enter the inside of the storage 12 and visually inspect the presence or absence of corruption, or may be inspected by the above-described corruption sensor 22 capable of detecting corruption.
And when corruption is detected by the corruption test process S14 (S16), the air conditioner 14 is switched to the low humidity operation mode, and the storage space S stores the fruits and vegetables fv at a lower humidity than the high humidity state in the high humidity storage process S12 ( Low humidity storage step S18). When no rot is detected in the rot inspection step S14, the high humidity storage step S12 is continued.

According to the above method, when the fruits and vegetables fv are kept in a high humidity state in the storage during the storage period, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables fv is maintained, and when the occurrence of rot is detected during the high humidity storage process, By keeping the storage space S at a low humidity and storing the fruits and vegetables fv, the progress of decay can be suppressed. Accordingly, freshness can be maintained without drying the fruits and vegetables fv for a long period of time, and rot can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the yield reduction of the fruits and vegetables fv for a long time.

In one embodiment, in high humidity storage process S12, it controls so that the relative humidity of storage space S may be 95% or more. In the storage device 10 (10A, 10B) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control unit 16 causes the air conditioner 14 to operate in the high humidity mode, thereby maintaining the relative humidity of the storage space S at 95% or more.
According to this embodiment, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables fv can be maintained for a long time by maintaining the relative humidity of the storage space S at 95% or more in the high humidity storage step S12.

In one embodiment, the relative humidity of the storage space S is controlled to be 80% to 95% in the low humidity storage step S18. In the storage device 10 (10A, 10B) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control unit 16 causes the air conditioner 14 to operate in the low humidity mode, thereby maintaining the relative humidity of the storage space S at 80% to 95%.
According to this embodiment, in the low-humidity storage step S18, the relative humidity of the storage space S is set to 80% to 95%, so that the progress of decay due to growth of mold, bacteria, etc. can be suppressed.

In one embodiment, in the rot inspection step S14, an operator inspects the presence or absence of rot by visual inspection.
According to this method, since the operator visually inspects the presence or absence of corruption, it is not necessary to install the corruption sensor 22, and the presence or absence of corruption can be accurately detected at low cost.

In one embodiment, in the rot inspection step S14, as shown in FIG. 2, the presence or absence of rot is inspected using a rot sensor 22 capable of detecting rot that has occurred in the fruits and vegetables fv.
According to this method, since the presence or absence of corruption is inspected using the corruption sensor 22, the monitoring burden on the worker can be reduced.

In one embodiment, the rot sensor 22 irradiates the fruits and vegetables fv with light having a wavelength of 200 nm to 800 nm, spectrally analyzes the reflected light reflected from the fruits and vegetables fv, and determines the presence or absence of rot from the obtained spectrum. It is configured.
Microorganisms such as molds and bacteria are protein aggregates, and proteins have a remarkable absorption peak for ultraviolet light in the wavelength band of 200 to 450 nm, particularly 230 to 300 nm. Therefore, the presence or absence of spoilage by microorganisms can be measured by emitting light including light in this wavelength band from the light emitter, irradiating the fruits and vegetables fv, and performing spectral analysis of the reflected light.
Further, by irradiating the fruits and vegetables fv with visible light having a wavelength band of 400 to 800 nm and performing spectral analysis of the reflected light, it is possible to measure the presence or absence of spoilage from the change in the color tone of the fruits and vegetables due to spoilage.
According to this embodiment, the occurrence of corruption can be automatically and accurately detected by using a corruption sensor that detects the presence or absence of corruption by spectral analysis using light in the wavelength band as the corruption detection means.

In one embodiment, the relative humidity of the storage space S is maintained at 100% or less in the high humidity storage step S12.
According to this embodiment, in the high humidity storage step S12, the relative humidity of the storage space S is maintained at 100% or less, so that the occurrence of condensation in the storage space S can be suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of decay in the fruits and vegetables fv due to the generated condensation adhering to the fruits and vegetables fv.

In one embodiment, the presence or absence of corruption may be determined from image processing information acquired by performing image processing on an image from a CCD camera or the like as a corruption inspection unit. However, as described above, if the method of determining the presence or absence of corruption is used by irradiating the fruits and vegetables fv with light having a specific wavelength and analyzing the reflected light spectrum, the presence or absence of corruption can be accurately determined. it can.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the rot sensor 22 receives a light emitter 24 for irradiating the fruits and vegetables fv with the light L and reflected light R reflected by the surface of the fruits and vegetables fv. And a spectroscope 28 for obtaining a spectral spectrum of the reflected light R received by the photoreceiver 26. And the corruption sensor 22 is comprised so that the component derived from microorganisms in the secondary differential value of the obtained spectrum may be detected.
According to the rot sensor 22, since the presence or absence of the microorganism M is detected by spectrally analyzing the reflected light R of the irradiation light L irradiated to the fruits and vegetables fv, the generation of the microorganism M can be automatically and accurately detected.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the corruption sensor 22 includes a light emission control unit 30, and the operation of the light emitter 24 is controlled by the light emission control unit 30. In addition, the rot sensor 22 includes a calculation unit 32, and the calculation unit 32 is based on the correlation between the spectral spectrum of the reflected light R acquired by the spectroscope 28 and the amount of protein determined in advance, and the fruits and vegetables fv. Calculate the occurrence of corruption. The memory 34 stores a prediction formula (that is, a correlation between the amount of protein and spectral spectrum data) for determining whether or not corruption has occurred from the spectral spectrum. The computing unit 32 determines whether or not corruption has occurred based on the correlation stored in the memory 34.
In one embodiment, the corruption sensor 22 further includes a display unit 36 that displays spectral data, the presence / absence of corruption, and the like on the display unit 36.

In one embodiment, the rot sensor 22 is disposed above the fruits and vegetables fv in the storage space S. The light receiver 26 configured to receive light from a specific direction receives reflected light R including multiple reflected light reflected from the fruits and vegetables fv and reflected from the inner wall surface of the storage 12. In this way, when the light receiver 26 receives the reflected light R including the multiple reflected light, the spectroscope 28 does not have the specific fruit and vegetable fv stored in the storage space S, but the average spectral spectrum of the whole fruit and vegetables. Obtainable.
Therefore, by arranging one rot sensor 22 above each group of fruits and vegetables fv with different warehousing times, it is possible to measure the average occurrence of rot for each group.

5 and 6 show examples of an average spectral spectrum of one group of fruits and vegetables fv using the rot sensor 22, respectively. FIG. 5 shows an average spectrum of cabbage, and FIG. 6 shows an average spectrum of purple cabbage. The vertical axis in these figures is the absorbance second derivative value obtained by converting the raw waveform obtained by the spectrometer 28 into an absorbance spectrum and converting the absorbance spectrum into a second derivative spectrum. This makes it possible to clarify peaks that are difficult to grasp in the raw waveform and to eliminate noise.
From these figures, in the ultraviolet light region of 400 nm or less, in the wavelength band of 230 to 300 nm (region A), when the fruits and vegetables are rotted or not rotted, It can be seen that a difference due to the absorption peak appears. In addition, in the visible light region (region B) of 400 nm or more, it can be seen that the spectral spectrum difference due to the difference between the color tone of the fruits and vegetables before the occurrence of rot and the color tone after the occurrence of rot appears clearly.

In one embodiment, the high humidity operation mode of the air conditioner 14 is to operate the air conditioner 14 so that the relative humidity of the storage space S is 95% or more, and the low humidity operation mode is the storage mode S of the storage space S. The air conditioner 14 is operated so that the relative humidity is 80% to 95%.
As a result, when the fruits and vegetables fv are not spoiled, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables fv is maintained by operating the air conditioner 14 in the high humidity operation mode so that the relative humidity of the storage space S is 95% or more. When the rot occurs in the fruits and vegetables fv, the progress of the rot is suppressed by operating the air conditioner 14 in the low-humidity operation mode so that the relative humidity of the storage space S becomes 90% to 95%. Can do. Thereby, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables fv can be maintained while suppressing deterioration and decay of the fruits and vegetables fv over a long period of time.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the air conditioner 14 (14a, 14b, 14c) includes a duct 40 that communicates with the storage space S and has an air flow path formed therein. An air flow a is formed inside the duct 40 by, for example, a fan 42 or the like. A cooling coil 44 is provided in the air flow path in the duct 40. The cooling coil 44 is supplied with the refrigerant cooled by the refrigerator 46 or the brine cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant, and cools the air flow a flowing through the air flow path in the duct. The air conditioner 14 (14a to 14c) includes a watering machine 47 for watering the cooling coil 44.
The air conditioner 14 (14a to 14c) is used when storing the fruits and vegetables fv by cooling the storage space S of the storage 12 in a temperature range of 0 ° C. or higher. The temperature and humidity of the storage space S are controlled by controlling the temperature and humidity of the air flow a by controlling the refrigerator 46 and the watering amount of the watering machine 47 by the control unit 16.

For example, in the high humidity operation mode, the cooling coil 44 is covered with a film of water sprinkled from the water sprayer 47, and in the low humidity operation mode, the watering is stopped, the cooling coil 44 is exposed, and the water vapor in the air flow a is cooled. The coil 44 cools and condenses, and dehumidifies by being attached to the surface of the cooling coil 44. When the humidity of the storage space S reaches the set value, watering is started.
In one embodiment, when high-temperature fruits and vegetables are received, the sprinkler 47 is automatically stopped, and the air speed a is increased to increase the cooling rate.

In one embodiment, the water sprayer 47 includes a water storage tank 48 provided in the lower part of the duct 40, a water spray nozzle 50 provided in the duct 40 above the cooling coil 44, and water accumulated in the water storage tank 48. 50 and a water supply pump 54 provided in the water supply path 52.
In one embodiment, the heater 56 for heating and adjusting the temperature of the water stored in the water storage tank 48 and the contact between the water jetted from the watering nozzle 50 and the air stream a are made dense, and the air stream a is steamed. And the gas-liquid contact zone 58 for increasing the relative humidity of the air stream a and the water droplets contained in the air stream a having become high humidity are removed to make the relative humidity of the air stream a 100% or less. A gas-liquid separation zone 60 is provided as necessary.

In the gas-liquid contact zone 58, for example, contact members such as fibers, corrugated plates, flat plates, and punching metal are laminated or arranged side by side in order to lengthen the contact time between the water spray and the air flow a. Further, these contact members may be provided integrally with the cooling coil 44.
In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inlet 40 a of the air flow a is provided above the water storage tank 48 at the lower part of the duct, and the outlet 40 b of the air flow a is provided at the upper part of the duct 40. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the inlet 40a for the air stream a is provided at the upper part of the duct, and the outlet 40b for the air stream a is provided above the water storage tank 48 at the lower part of the duct.

In the air conditioners 14 (14 a, 14 c) shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the cooling coil 44 is provided in the air flow path, and the air flow a is directly cooled by the cooling coil 44.
In the air conditioner 14 (14 b) shown in FIG. 8, the cooling coil 44 is provided in the water storage tank 48. First, the water stored in the water storage tank 48 is cooled by the cooling coil 44, and the cooled water is sprinkled from the watering nozzle 50. By doing so, the air flow a is cooled.

In the air conditioner 14 (14b) shown in FIG. 8, since the cooling coil 44 is provided in the water storage tank 48, the cooling coil 44 cannot perform dehumidification. Therefore, a dehumidifier 62 is provided separately. When dehumidification is performed, the air flow a flowing into the duct 40 is introduced into the dehumidifier 62 via the flow path 64, and the air flow a is dehumidified by the dehumidifier 62, and then the gas-liquid separation zone via the flow path 66. Return to 60. The dehumidifier 62 may be, for example, a desiccant system that dehumidifies using an adsorbent, or may be a system that cools the refrigerant with a refrigerator having a compressor.

In the air conditioner 14 (14 c) shown in FIG. 9, the water sprayed by the water spray nozzle 50 passes through the cooling coil 44 and the gas-liquid contact zone 58, is collected by the funnel-shaped water collecting pan 68, and returns to the water storage tank 48. . The air flow a enters the duct 40 from the inlet 40 a near the fan 42, passes through the watering nozzle 50, the cooling coil 44, the gas-liquid contact zone 58, and the gas-liquid separation zone 60, and exits the duct 40. At this time, the air flow path in which the water spray nozzle 50, the cooling coil 44, and the gas-liquid contact zone 58 are provided has a positive pressure because the water collecting pan 68 serves as a wall and the fan 42 pushes air. Thereby, high-humidity air can be generated efficiently.
In one embodiment, in the air conditioner 14 (14 a, 14 c) shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the cooling coil 44 and the gas-liquid contact zone 58 can be integrated.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the air conditioner 14 (14 d) is used when storing the fruits and vegetables fv by cooling the storage space S of the storage 12 in a temperature range of 0 ° C. or higher. The air conditioner 14 (14 d) includes a duct 40, a cooling coil 44, and a refrigerator 46, and further, an ice / snow zone 70 in which an air flow path formed in the duct 40 is filled with ice or snow. Is formed. The air flow a returns to the storage space S as saturated water vapor having a temperature of 0 ° C. or less and a relative humidity of 100% while passing through the ice / snow zone 70, so that the storage space S can be in a high humidity state. Ice or snow is supplied to the ice / snow zone 70 from an ice maker 72 provided separately via a shooter 74.

Although the cooling coil 44 is also provided in the ice / snow zone 70, when the air conditioner 14 (14d) is operated in the high-humidity operation mode, the refrigerator 46 is stopped and the ice / snow zone 70 and the air flow a are heat-exchanged. When operating the air conditioner 14 (14d) in the low-humidity operation mode, instead of supplying ice / snow to the ice / snow zone 70, the refrigerator 46 is operated and water vapor in the air stream a is cooled and condensed by the cooling coil 44. The air flow a is dehumidified by adhering to the surface of the cooling coil 44.

In one embodiment, like the air conditioner 14 (14 a) illustrated in FIG. 7, the fan 42 attracts air from the air flow path of the duct 40, and supplies the interior of the duct 40 to the storage space S with a negative pressure. Consists of attracting fans.
In one embodiment, like the air conditioner 14 (14 c) shown in FIG. 9, the fan 42 pushes air from the storage space S, and supplies the air flow a to the storage space S with a positive pressure inside the duct 40. You may comprise an extrusion type fan. In the air conditioner 14 (14 c), in the duct 40, the gas-liquid separation zone 60 is disposed below the cooling coil 44, and the gas-liquid separation zone 60 is disposed below the gas-liquid contact zone 58.

A reefer container capable of controlling only the temperature inside and a high humidity container capable of controlling the temperature and humidity inside were prepared, and a comparative test was conducted in which fruits and vegetables were stored in the following three types of storage methods. Cabbage was used as fruits and vegetables, and the storage temperature was all set to 2.5 ° C.
(1) Refrigerated storage (no humidity adjustment)
(2) High humidity storage (relative humidity 95% or more)
(3) Humidity adjusted storage (one embodiment)
In refrigerated storage (1), a leafer container was used and the humidity was stored. In refrigerated storage (1), the relative humidity in the reefer container was kept at 70-80% during the storage period.
High-humidity storage (2) uses a high-humidity container and stores it at a relative humidity of 95% or more for 3 months after storage. Next, store it in cardboard in a high-humidity container and store the relative humidity in the cardboard. It was kept at 100% and stored for another 3 months.
The humidity-controlled storage (3) according to one embodiment uses a high-humidity container and stores it at a relative humidity of 95% or more after warehousing. After three months, the rot sensor detects the occurrence of rot on the cabbage surface. Humidity was reduced to 90% and stored.

The detection of rot of fruits and vegetables was performed by the following method. First, the surface of normal fruit and vegetables is scanned to make a blank. Next, the surface of the fruits and vegetables being stored is scanned and the two spectral spectra are compared. As shown in FIG. 5, the change in the spectroscopic spectrum peculiar to rot appears at any of the wavelengths of 260 nm ± 10 nm, 280 nm ± 10 nm, 400 nm ± 10 nm, 460 nm ± 10 nm, and 700 nm ± 10 nm. The presence or absence of is determined.
In one embodiment, for example, the corruption sensor 22 is configured to output an off signal in a state where no corruption occurs, and to output an on signal when corruption occurs. When the rot sensor 22 outputs an off signal, the high humidity state where the relative humidity is 95% or more is maintained. When the rot sensor 22 gives an ON signal, the operation of the sprinkler 47 is stopped and the relative humidity is lowered to 80 to 95%.

As described above, instead of comparing the two spectral spectra when no rot occurs and when rot occurs, the presence or absence of rot is determined from the transition of the spectral spectrum of the reflected light reflected from the fruits and vegetables fv. It may be.

The results of the above test are shown in FIGS. In the case of refrigerated storage (1), the weight yield dropped to 75% in 3 months. Although no spoilage was observed, the test was terminated here because the drying progressed too much and the yield was extremely reduced. The overall product yield was 0%.
In the case of high humidity storage (2), the weight yield was 95% in 3 months and 90% in 6 months. In addition, rot occurred after 3 months of storage. After 3 months of storage, the product was transferred to corrugated cardboard and stored in a high humidity state with a relative humidity of 100%. The product yield of comprehensive evaluation was 20%.
In the case of humidity adjusted storage (3), the weight yield was 95% in 3 months, and rot occurred in 3 months of storage. This was detected by a rot sensor, and storage was continued with the relative humidity lowered to 90%. As a result, spoilage of spoilage was slow, and spoilage remained at about 20% after 6 months of storage. The weight yield was as high as 85%. The product yield of comprehensive evaluation was 80%.

According to one embodiment, by controlling the relative humidity during storage, it is possible to suppress spoilage caused by microorganisms such as mold and bacteria while maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables, thereby reducing the yield over a long period of time. Storage that can be controlled becomes possible.

10 (10A, 10B) Storage device 12 Storage 14 (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) Air conditioner 16 Control unit 18 Operation terminal 20 Operation mode changeover switch 22 Rotation sensor 40 Duct 42 Fan 44 Cooling coil 46 Refrigerator 47 Sprinkler 48 Water storage tank 50 Water spray nozzle 52 Water supply channel 54 Water supply pump 56 Heater 58 Gas-liquid contact zone 60 Gas-liquid separation zone 62

Dehumidifier

64, 66 Channel 68 Water collecting pan 70 Ice / snow zone 72 Ice machine 74 Shutter L Irradiation light M Microorganism R Reflection Light S Storage space a Air flow fv Fruit and vegetables

Claims

A high-humidity storage process for keeping fruits and vegetables in a high-humidity state in the storage space of the storage;
In the high-humidity storage step, a rot inspection step for inspecting the presence or absence of rot occurring in the fruits and vegetables,
A low-humidity storage step for storing the fruits and vegetables at a lower humidity than the high-humidity state when the rot is detected in the rot inspection step;
A method for storing fruits and vegetables characterized by comprising:
The method for storing fruits and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein, in the high humidity storage step, the storage space is controlled so that the relative humidity is 95% or more.
The method for storing fruits and vegetables according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the low humidity storage step, the storage space is controlled so that the relative humidity is 80% or more and 95% or less.
The method for storing fruits and vegetables according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the mold inspection step, an operator visually inspects the presence or absence of corruption.
4. The fruit or vegetable according to claim 1, wherein the rot inspection step is to inspect the presence or absence of rot by using a rot sensor capable of detecting rot occurring in the fruit or vegetable. 5. Storage method.
The said rot sensor irradiates the said fruits and vegetables with light with a wavelength of 220 nm or more and 800 nm or less, and spectrum-analyzes the reflected light reflected from the said fruits and vegetables and determines the presence or absence of rot. The storage method of fruit and vegetables as described.
The method for storing fruits and vegetables according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the high humidity storage step, the relative humidity of the storage space is maintained at 100% or less.
For the fruits and vegetables having a wound at the time of harvest, the wound is healed by holding it at a temperature range higher than the temperature of the storage space in the high-humidity storage step and the low-humidity storage step at the time of warehousing. The method for storing fruits and vegetables according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a healing step.
A storage for storing fruits and vegetables;
An air conditioner capable of controlling the humidity of the storage space of the storage; and
Receiving an operation mode selection signal indicating whether to select a high humidity operation mode and a low humidity operation mode having a lower humidity than the high humidity operation mode so as to suppress the growth of rot occurring in the fruits and vegetables; A controller configured to control operation of the air conditioner in a selected operation mode;
A storage device for fruits and vegetables.
An operation terminal that sends the operation mode selection signal to the control unit, comprising the operation terminal including an operation mode changeover switch that is operated when the fruit or vegetable is detected to be rotten,
The controller is
10. The air conditioner is configured to switch to either the high humidity operation mode or the low humidity operation mode based on the operation mode selection signal sent from the operation terminal. Fruit and vegetable storage equipment.
A rotting sensor configured to be able to detect rotting that has occurred in the fruits and vegetables and to transmit a rotting detection signal to the control unit when the rotting is detected;
The fruit and vegetables storage according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to operate the air conditioner in the low-humidity operation mode when the corruption detection signal is sent from the corruption sensor. apparatus.
The corruption sensor is
A light emitter for irradiating the fruits and vegetables;
A light receiver for receiving the reflected light reflected by the surface of the fruits and vegetables, and
A spectroscope for obtaining a spectrum of the reflected light received by the light receiver;
With
The fruit and vegetable storage device according to claim 11, wherein the device is configured to detect a component derived from a microorganism in a second derivative value of the spectrum.
The high humidity operation mode is to operate the air conditioner so that the relative humidity of the storage space is 95% or more,
The low-humidity operation mode is to operate the air conditioner so that the relative humidity of the storage space is 80% or more and 95% or less. Fruit and vegetable storage equipment.
The air conditioner
A duct formed therein with an air flow path communicating with the storage space;
A water storage tank provided in a lower portion of the duct;
A cooling coil provided in an air flow path in the duct or the water storage tank;
A refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the cooling coil; a watering part for watering the cooling coil;
The fruit and vegetable storage device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, further comprising:
The air conditioner
A duct formed therein with an air flow path communicating with the storage space;
A cooling coil provided in an air flow path in the duct;
A refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the cooling coil; an ice / snow zone formed in the air flow path and filled with ice or snow;
An ice making machine for supplying the ice or the snow to the ice-snow zone;
The fruit and vegetable storage device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, further comprising: