title: Development of a radio frequency heating system for sterilization of vacuum-packed fish in water.
abstract: We developed equipment that quickly and uniformly heats packed whole fish in circulating tap water using radio frequency (RF) heating. Four vacuumed plastic-packed Pacific sauries in tap water were set in a radial arrangement between coaxial cylindrical electrodes in a closed vessel. For sterilization testing, Bacillus subtilis spores added in the center of the sauries were counted after treatment. For quality assurance, meat color and backbone hardness were measured after treatment. The temperature at the center of the sauries was increased up to 130 °C for 19 min using 9 kW RF heating, and up to 119 °C for 45 min using conventional heating (CH) at 120 °C. B. subtilis spores were decreased by five logarithmic orders using RF heating and by four logarithmic orders using CH. The RF-treated meat was brighter than the CH-treated meat, and the RF-treated backbone was softer than CH-treated one.
authors.affiliation: a Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization , Tsukuba , Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.affiliation: a Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization , Tsukuba , Japan.
authors.forename: Sumiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanafusa
authors.affiliation: a Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization , Tsukuba , Japan.
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: a Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization , Tsukuba , Japan.
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000528:radiation effects; D005399:Fishes / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging; D006361:Heating; D011846:Radio Waves; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water
keywords: Bacillus subtilis spore; Pacific saury; backbone; radio frequency heating in water