Evaluation method and evaluation device

Abstract

To provide an evaluation method and an evaluation device which can evaluate the degree of hardness of cooked rice still in a state of polished rice.SOLUTION: An evaluation method includes processes of: acquiring a chain length feature value which indicates the ratio of chains in a chain length range used for evaluation in amylopectin of polished rice as an evaluation object; and, on the basis of the acquired chain length feature value and relation information indicating the relation between the chain length feature value previously generated based on a cooked rice analysis result as an analysis result of cooked rice and the degree of hardness, evaluating the degree of hardness of cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice as the evaluation object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an evaluation method and an evaluation device. [Background technology]

[0002] Methods for evaluating the hardness of cooked rice have been known. For example, in the evaluation method described in Non-Patent Document 1, the hardness of cooked rice is evaluated (see Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Yukiko Kagohashi, "Study on the physical properties of cooked rice", Bulletin of Shimane Prefectural University, Izumo Campus, Vol. 15, 2019, pp. 7-13 [Non-patent document 2] Naoko Fujita et al., “The isolation and characterization of a waxy mutant of diploid wheat (Triticum monococcum L.)”, Plant Science 160 (2001), P.595-602 [Non-patent document 3] Michael G. O'Shea et al., “Fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE) of oligosaccharides; efficiency of labeling and high-resolution separation”, Carbohydrate Research 307 (1998), P.1-12 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while conventional techniques have been able to analyze and evaluate the hardness of cooked rice after it has been cooked, they have not been able to estimate the hardness of cooked rice after cooking based on the state of the polished rice before cooking. For this reason, with conventional techniques, for example, consumers may not be able to fully select polished rice according to their preferences.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an evaluation method and evaluation device that can evaluate the hardness of cooked rice in the polished rice state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect is an evaluation method in which, for amylopectin in polished rice to be evaluated, a chain length characteristic value that indicates the proportion of chains in a chain length range used for evaluation is obtained, and the hardness of cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice to be evaluated is evaluated based on the obtained chain length characteristic value and relationship information that indicates the relationship between the chain length characteristic value and hardness, which has been generated in advance based on a cooked rice analysis result that is an analysis result of the cooked rice.

[0007] One aspect is an evaluation device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires, for amylopectin in polished rice to be evaluated, a chain length characteristic value that indicates the proportion of chains in a chain length range used for evaluation, and an evaluation unit that evaluates the hardness of cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice to be evaluated, based on the chain length characteristic value acquired by the acquisition unit and relationship information that indicates the relationship between the chain length characteristic value and hardness and that is generated in advance based on a cooked rice analysis result that is an analysis result of the cooked rice. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the evaluation method and evaluation device can evaluate the hardness of cooked rice in the form of polished rice. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of amylopectin. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a chain length distribution of amylopectin. [Figure 3A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the degree of agreement (coefficient of determination) between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantification for the chain length range in which the chain length characteristic values are calculated. [Figure 3B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the degree of agreement (coefficient of determination) between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantification for the chain length range (single chain length) for which the chain length characteristic values are calculated. [Figure 3C] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the degree of agreement (coefficient of determination) between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantification for the chain length range (single chain length) for which the chain length characteristic values are calculated. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of fitting between chain length characteristic values corresponding to a predetermined chain length range and stiffness quantification. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of fitting between chain length characteristic values corresponding to a predetermined chain length range and stiffness quantification. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of fitting between chain length characteristic values corresponding to a predetermined chain length range and stiffness quantification. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block diagram of an evaluation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measuring the hardness of cooked rice according to a reference example. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measurement data for quantitatively determining the hardness of cooked rice according to a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Evaluation method overview] The applicant has discovered that there is a correlation between a predetermined value based on the chain length distribution of amylopectin in polished rice (in this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, this will be referred to as the chain length characteristic value) and the hardness quantification (a value corresponding to hardness) of cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice. Therefore, in the evaluation method according to this embodiment, the hardness of cooked rice after cooking is estimated by combining the analysis of amylopectin in polished rice with the quantitative analysis of the hardness of cooked rice. Amylopectin is a type of starch. Starch has a structure in which glucose molecules are linked together like chains, with amylose being the linear type and amylopectin being the branched type.

[0012] <Amylopectin structure> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of amylopectin. In the structure of amylopectin, multiple glucose molecules are polymerized to form clusters, and multiple clusters are bonded together. In the example shown in Figure 1, the bond between glucose molecules in the left-right direction is called an α-1,4-glycosidic bond, and the bond between glucose molecules in the up-down direction, which is the branched portion, is called an α-1,6-glycosidic bond.

[0013] In the example of FIG. 1, four clusters C1 to C4 are connected. In addition, in the example of Figure 1, for the sake of simplicity, only one glucose G1 out of the multiple glucoses is labeled, only one bond K1 out of the multiple α-1,6-glycosidic bonds is labeled, and only one bond K2 out of the multiple α-1,4-glycosidic bonds is labeled.

[0014] <Amylopectin chain length distribution> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the chain length distribution of amylopectin. In the graph shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the DP (Degree of Polymerization) value, which is the degree of polymerization of glucose, and the vertical axis represents the molar concentration [%]. In the example of Figure 2, the DP value represents the chain length when all the α-1,6-glycosidic bonds in the vertical direction are cleaved in the amylopectin structure shown in Figure 1. The chain length is represented by the number of polymerized glucose molecules. In the example of Figure 2, for ease of explanation, those with a chain length of 6 to 20 are called short chains, those with a chain length of 21 to 40 are called medium chains, and those with a chain length of 41 or more (41 to 60 in the example of Figure 2) are called long chains.

[0015] <Chain length characteristic value> In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, one or more ranges of chain lengths will be referred to as a chain length range. In this embodiment, the chain length range corresponds to the range of DP (DP range). In this embodiment, for a chain length range that includes one or more specified chain lengths (degree of polymerization) in the structure of polished rice amylopectin, the proportion of chains having a chain length included in the chain length range (the sum of the proportions of the number of chains having each chain length to the total number of chains) is used as the chain length characteristic value. Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, a chain length characteristic value calculated for a certain chain length range will be referred to as the chain length characteristic value corresponding to that chain length range. The total number of chains may be, for example, the number of chains included in all the ranges of chain lengths that exist, or the number of chains included in a portion of the range of chain lengths (for example, a significant range with a large number of chains) rather than all the ranges of chain lengths that exist may be used.

[0016] <Example of the relationship between chain length characteristic value and hardness quantification> 3A to 3C, examples of the correlation between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantification are shown for the chain length ranges for which chain length characteristic values are calculated. Here, the quantitative hardness (value corresponding to hardness) in this embodiment is obtained by a method that will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0017] <Milled rice varieties> In this example, 24 types of rice (16 varieties) produced in 2022 are used as the polished rice types, and the average values obtained for these 24 types of polished rice are used. However, the polished rice types are not limited to this example. These 24 varieties of polished rice are: (1) Nanatsuboshi (registered trademark) from Hokkaido, (2) Yumepirika (registered trademark) from Hokkaido, (3) Fukkuriinko (registered trademark) from Hokkaido, (4) Aomori Prefecture's Hekireki (registered trademark) from Aomori, (5) Ginga no Shizuku (registered trademark) from Iwate, (6) Tsuyahime (registered trademark) from Yamagata, (7) Koshihikari (registered trademark) from Fukushima, (8) Koshihikari (registered trademark) from Chiba, (9) Irodori no Kizuna (registered trademark) from Saitama, (10) Koshihikari (low) from Niigata, (11) Koshihikari (high) from Niigata, (12) Akitakomachi (registered trademark) from Nagano, (13) Koshihikari (registered trademark) from Hyogo, (14) Hinohikari (registered trademark) from Kyoto, and (15) Shiga Prefecture's Koshihikari (high) from Shiga. The varieties are: (16) Kinumusume (registered trademark) from Tottori Prefecture, (17) Koi no Yokan (registered trademark) from Hiroshima Prefecture, (18) Nikomaru (registered trademark) from Kochi Prefecture, (19) Hinohikari (registered trademark) from Kumamoto Prefecture, (20) Koshihikari (registered trademark) from Miyazaki Prefecture, (21) Hitomebore (registered trademark) from Akita Prefecture, (22) Koshihikari (registered trademark) from Akita Prefecture, (23) Sasanishiki (registered trademark) from Akita Prefecture, and (24) Hitomebore (registered trademark) from Akita Prefecture.

[0018] <Coefficient of determination> In this embodiment, for each chain length range, the coefficient of determination (R2 value) representing the degree of agreement between the chain length characteristic value and the hardness quantification is calculated by squaring the correlation coefficient r between the two. The coefficient of determination may also be called the contribution ratio. Generally, a coefficient of determination greater than 0.5 is considered to be a good fit between the two. When the coefficient of determination is the square of the correlation coefficient r, a coefficient of determination of 0.5 or greater indicates a correlation coefficient of 0.7 or greater. Generally, a correlation coefficient of 0.7 or greater is considered to be a strong correlation. In this embodiment, if the coefficient of determination exceeds 0.6, it is considered that there is a sufficient correlation.

[0019] FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the degree of agreement (coefficient of determination) between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantification for the chain length ranges for which chain length characteristic values are calculated. FIG. 3A shows the correspondence between the polished rice type, the chain length range for calculating the chain length characteristic value, the coefficient of determination (R2 value), and the accuracy for each of Examples A1 to A17. Here, in this example, the type of polished rice is constant. The chain length range for calculating the chain length characteristic value represents the chain length range obtained by analyzing the amylopectin of polished rice and calculating the total value of the proportions of multiple types of chain lengths (degree of polymerization). The coefficient of determination (R2 value) represents the degree of agreement between the quantitative hardness value obtained for the analyzed cooked rice after cooking and the chain length characteristic value.

[0020] In this example, the accuracy is determined to be good when the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is 0.6 or more, and the accuracy is determined to be insufficient when the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is less than 0.6. In the accuracy column shown in Figure 3A, "◯" is indicated when the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is 0.6 or more, and "×" is indicated when the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is less than 0.6.

[0021] FIG. 3A shows that the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is 0.6 or greater for each of the chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 25, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 30, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 35, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 40, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 45, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 50, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 55, chain length feature values corresponding to DP21 to 60, chain length feature values corresponding to DP30 to 40, chain length feature values corresponding to DP30 to 50, chain length feature values corresponding to DP30 to 60, chain length feature values corresponding to DP40 to 50, chain length feature values corresponding to DP40 to 60, and chain length feature values corresponding to DP50 to 60. FIG. 3A also shows that for other chain length ranges (DP ranges), the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is less than 0.6.

[0022] Here, the chain length characteristic value corresponding to DP 6 to 10 represents the total proportion of each chain length with a DP value of 6 or more and 10 or less (i.e., the proportion of the number of chains in the corresponding chain length range to the total number of chains). The same applies to other DP ranges. In the examples of FIGS. 3A to 3C, the number of chains (total number) included in DP6 to DP60 is used as the total number of chains.

[0023] 3B and 3C are diagrams showing the degree of agreement (coefficient of determination) between the chain length characteristic value and the hardness quantification for the chain length range (single chain length) for which the chain length characteristic value is calculated. 3B and 3C show the same correspondence of items as in FIG. 3A for each of DP6 to DP60 as Examples B1 to B55.

[0024] Here, FIGS. 3B and 3C show that the coefficient of determination (R2 value) for the chain length characteristic values corresponding to DP21 to DP33 and DP47 to DP60 alone is 0.6 or more. 3B and 3C also show that for other chain length ranges (in this example, single DP values), the coefficient of determination (R2 value) is less than 0.6.

[0025] Here, the chain length characteristic value corresponding to the single chain length DP6 represents the proportion of chain lengths with a DP value of 6 (i.e., the proportion of the number of chains with the corresponding chain length to the total number of chains). The same applies to DP7 to DP60.

[0026] <Example of how to calculate the coefficient of determination (R2 value)> 4A, 4B, and 4C are diagrams showing examples of fitting between chain length characteristic values corresponding to a predetermined chain length range and stiffness quantifications. An example of how to calculate the coefficient of determination (R2 value) will be shown with reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C.

[0027] In the graph shown in Fig. 4A, the horizontal axis represents the result of analyzing the amylopectin in polished rice and determining the total value of the proportions of multiple types of chain lengths (degree of polymerization) (the chain length characteristic value in this embodiment), and the vertical axis represents the hardness quantification obtained by evaluating cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice. In other words, the graph shown in Fig. 4A represents the degree of correlation between the analysis results of the amylopectin in polished rice and the analysis results of the hardness quantification. Each of the multiple circles (◯) shown in the graph of Fig. 4A represents an analysis result, and the line resulting from fitting these multiple analysis results (for example, fitting by the least squares method) is shown as the fitting result 1011. From this, the coefficient of determination (R value) can be found. In addition, FIG. 4A shows an example in which the chain length range (DP range) is DP21-60.

[0028] In the graph shown in Figure 4B, the horizontal axis represents the result of analyzing the amylopectin in polished rice and determining the total value of the proportion of one type of chain length (degree of polymerization) (the chain length characteristic value in this embodiment), and the vertical axis represents the hardness quantification obtained by evaluating cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice. In other words, the graph shown in Figure 4B represents the degree of correlation between the analysis results of the amylopectin in polished rice and the analysis results of the hardness quantification. Each of the multiple circles (◯) shown in the graph of Figure 4B represents an analysis result, and the line resulting from fitting these multiple analysis results (for example, fitting by the least squares method) is shown as the fitting result 1012. This allows the coefficient of determination (R value) to be calculated. FIG. 4B shows an example in which the chain length range (DP range) is DP29.

[0029] In the graph shown in Fig. 4C, the horizontal axis represents the result of analyzing the amylopectin in polished rice and determining the total value of the proportion of one type of chain length (degree of polymerization) (the chain length characteristic value in this embodiment), and the vertical axis represents the hardness quantification obtained by evaluating cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice. In other words, the graph shown in Fig. 4C represents the degree of correlation between the analysis results of the amylopectin in polished rice and the analysis results of the hardness quantification. Each of the multiple circles (◯) shown in the graph of Figure 4C represents an analysis result, and the line resulting from fitting these multiple analysis results (for example, fitting by the least squares method) is shown as the fitting result 1013. This allows the coefficient of determination (R value) to be calculated. FIG. 4C shows an example in which the chain length range (DP range) is DP51.

[0030] Here, although FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are shown as examples, graphs showing the degree of correlation can also be obtained for other chain length ranges (DP ranges).

[0031] <Correspondence between chain length characteristic value and hardness> 4A, it is possible to generate information representing the correspondence between the chain length characteristic value and the stiffness quantification. For example, the information may represent the correspondence directly from the fitting result 1011, or may represent the correspondence resulting from processing such as correction of the fitting result 1011. Similarly, based on the fitting result 1012 shown in FIG. 4B, it is possible to generate information representing the correspondence between the chain length feature value and the stiffness quantification. Similarly, based on the fitting result 1013 shown in FIG. 4C, it is possible to generate information representing the correspondence between the chain length feature value and the stiffness quantification. In addition, for other chain length ranges (DP ranges) in which the correspondence between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantifications is valid, it is possible to generate information representing the correspondence between chain length characteristic values and hardness quantifications based on the fitting results.

[0032] In this embodiment, the hardness quantification is determined based on the stress measured by a tensipresser. In other words, in this embodiment, the correspondence between the stress measured by the tensipressor and the chain length characteristic value is grasped, and the correspondence between the stress measured by the tensipressor and the hardness quantification is grasped, and by combining these correspondences, information (correspondence information) representing the correspondence between the chain length characteristic value and hardness can be generated. Here, the correspondence information may be, for example, a table showing the correspondence between the chain length characteristic value and the hardness, or may be information in another format.

[0033] <Method for analyzing amylopectin chain length> The method for determining the chain length of amylopectin is not particularly limited, and any method may be used. As a specific example, Non-Patent Document 2 (or Non-Patent Document 3) shows the results of DP analysis, and a method similar to the method used in Non-Patent Document 2 (or Non-Patent Document 3) may be used to examine the chain length (DP) of amylopectin.

[0034] [Evaluation equipment] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the evaluation device 1 according to the embodiment. The evaluation device 1 includes an acquisition unit 11, an evaluation unit 12, a control unit 15, a storage unit 16, an operation reception unit 17, a communication unit 18, and an output unit 19. The output unit 19 includes a display unit 21 .

[0035] The control unit 15 controls the entire evaluation device 1. The control unit 15 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), for example.

[0036] The storage unit 16 is a storage device, and includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), and the like. The storage unit 16 may be an external storage device that is connected from the outside.

[0037] The operation reception unit 17 is an input device including, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a lever, a button, and the like. The operation reception unit 17 may be a touch panel that is integrated with the display unit 21.

[0038] The communication unit 18 is a communication device that includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication and various ports for wired communication.

[0039] The output unit 19 is a device that outputs information. In this embodiment, the output unit 19 includes a display unit 21 . The display unit 21 is, for example, a display device including a display (screen).

[0040] In this embodiment, the storage unit 16 stores correspondence information D1 that indicates the correspondence between the chain length characteristic value and the hardness. Here, the correspondence information D1 may be set in advance in the storage unit 16, or may be set in the storage unit 16 at any timing. Also, for example, the correspondence information D1 stored in the storage unit 16 may be configured to be updatable.

[0041] The acquisition unit 11 acquires chain length characteristic values (information representing the values) corresponding to the chain length ranges used for evaluation for the amylopectin of the polished rice to be evaluated. Here, the chain length range used for the evaluation may be, for example, set in advance, or may be set by a user operating the evaluation device 1, or may be set by an external device. Furthermore, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple candidate chain length ranges are prepared, and a user or an external device can select (selectively set) one candidate from these candidates as the chain length range to be used for evaluation.

[0042] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire chain length characteristic values manually input by a user, or may acquire chain length characteristic values input from an external device via the communication unit 18, or alternatively, may acquire information on chain length characteristic values that have been stored in advance in the memory unit 16. In this embodiment, the case where the acquiring unit 11 acquires the chain length characteristic value (itself) is exemplified, but as another example, the acquiring unit 11 may acquire information for calculating the chain length characteristic value and calculate the chain length characteristic value based on the information. For example, information on the chain length distribution of amylopectin as shown in Figure 2 may be used as the information.

[0043] The evaluation unit 12 determines the hardness corresponding to the chain length characteristic value acquired by the acquisition unit 11 (the chain length characteristic value corresponding to the chain length range used for evaluation) based on the corresponding information D1 stored in the storage unit 16. This determination result is an estimated evaluation of the hardness of cooked rice based on the information (chain length characteristic value) in the state of polished rice.

[0044] Here, the output unit 19 may output, for example, information relating to the result of the evaluation by the evaluation unit 12 to a user or an external device. In this embodiment, the output unit 19 can display information about the results of the evaluation by the evaluation unit 12 on a screen using the display unit 21, and the user can view the information.

[0045] In this embodiment, the correspondence information D1 is stored in the memory unit 16 of the evaluation device 1, but as another example, the correspondence information D1 may be stored in an external database or the like, and the evaluation device 1 may receive and acquire the correspondence information D1 from the database or the like via the communication unit 18. The evaluation device may be called, for example, an evaluation system.

[0046] As described above, the evaluation method and evaluation device 1 according to this embodiment can evaluate the hardness of cooked rice in the form of polished rice. This allows, for example, a consumer (in this embodiment, for example, a user) to select (sort) polished rice according to preference.

[0047] In this embodiment, by combining the analysis of the chain length of amylopectin in polished rice with the analysis of the hardness quantification of cooked rice (hardness analysis), hardness can be estimated by analyzing the polished rice.

[0048] In this embodiment, consumers can know the hardness (estimated value) of the polished rice after cooking, allowing them to select rice with the hardness they prefer. Also, consumers can obtain necessary information regarding hardness when blending their preferred rice, for example.

[0049] Here, there is a correlation between the results of the component analysis of polished rice and the results of the analytical sensory evaluation of cooked rice. In this embodiment, for example, by using the chain length range (DP range) with high correlation as the chain length range (DP range) for component analysis of polished rice, the accuracy of hardness evaluation can be improved.

[0050] In the above, an example of an evaluation method has been described in which the evaluation device 1 performs a process to evaluate the hardness of cooked rice based on the analysis results of polished rice, but some or all of this process may be performed manually. For example, conventionally, taste evaluation has been performed by analyzing cooked rice (sensory taste evaluation or physical property measurement), but the evaluation method and evaluation device 1 according to this embodiment can perform taste evaluation (hardness evaluation) by analyzing polished rice (amylopectin component analysis). The hardness may also be called, for example, hardness.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the analysis is performed to calculate the percentage when the number of chains from DP6 to DP60 is set to 100%. However, as another example, the analysis time may be extended to perform the analysis up to a larger DP value (for example, DP120 or approximately DP120). Even in such a case, the analysis results are expected to be the same as in this embodiment (or similar to the extent that they do not cause practical problems).

[0052] [Example of analytical method for quantitative hardness determination in the reference example] 6A and 6B, an example of an analytical method for quantifying hardness (a value corresponding to hardness) according to a reference example will be shown.

[0053] As an analytical method for quantifying hardness according to a reference example, a method for performing physical measurements (stress analysis) of cooked rice using a tensipresser, which is a texture measuring device, will be described. An example of a tension presser is the MyBoy2 SYSTEM tension presser manufactured by Taketomo Electric Co., Ltd., but is not limited to this. It should be noted that physical measurements using a tensipressor may be performed using known techniques, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted in this example. In this example, a description of the overall configuration of the tensipressor will be omitted, and an outline of the measurement will be given focusing on the plunger and container of the tensipressor.

[0054] 6A is a diagram showing an example of measuring the hardness of cooked rice according to a reference example. In this example, the cooked rice 2x3 measurement analysis method is used. FIG. 6A shows six states St1 to St6. In these states St1 to St6, the cooked rice R1 to be measured is stored in the container 2012, the container 2012 is movable in a predetermined direction (in this example, for the sake of convenience, referred to as the up and down direction), and the position of the plunger 2011 is fixed. In this example, the plunger 2011 is located above the container 2012, and when an upward force is applied to the container 2012, the cooked rice R1 stored in the container 2012 is pushed downward by the plunger 2011.

[0055] In the first state St1, an upward force F1 is applied to the container 2012, and a predetermined portion (for example, 23% of the total) of the cooked rice R1 in the vertical direction is pushed downward by the plunger 2011. Then, after this force F1 is temporarily released and the container 2012 moves downward, the state transitions to the second state St2. In the second state St2, a force F2 is applied to the container 2012, causing the container 2012 to move upward to the same position (or a position approximately the same) as in the first state St1. Then, such force F2 is temporarily released, and the container 2012 moves downward, after which the state transitions to a third state St3.

[0056] In the third state St3, an upward force F3 is applied to the container 2012, and a predetermined portion (for example, 46% of the total) of the cooked rice R1 in the vertical direction is pushed downward by the plunger 2011. Then, after this force F3 is temporarily released and the container 2012 moves downward, the state transitions to the fourth state St4. In the fourth state St4, a force F4 is applied to the container 2012, causing the container 2012 to move upward to the same position (or a position approximately the same) as in the third state St3. Then, after such force F4 is temporarily released and the container 2012 moves downward, the state transitions to a fifth state St5.

[0057] In the fifth state St5, an upward force F5 is applied to the container 2012, and a predetermined portion (for example, 92% of the portion) of the cooked rice R1 in the vertical direction is pushed downward by the plunger 2011. Then, after this force F5 is temporarily released and the container 2012 moves downward, the state transitions to the sixth state St6. In the sixth state St6, a force F6 is applied to the container 2012, causing the container 2012 to move upward to the same position (or a position approximately the same) as in the fifth state St5.

[0058] Here, the force F3 (at medium compression) is greater than the force F1 (at low compression), and the force F5 (at high compression) is greater than the force F3 (at medium compression). Also, the example in FIG. 6A is one example of the operation of the tension presser, and other operations may be performed.

[0059] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of measurement data of quantitative hardness of cooked rice according to a reference example. Fig. 6B shows an example of data (measurement data) measured by the operation of the tension presser shown in Fig. 6A. The measurement data is waveform data. FIG. 6B shows the measurement data measured in each of the states St1 to St6 shown in FIG. 6A. In the example of Figure 6B, in each of the six states St1 to St6, the measurement result of the hardness quantification (value corresponding to hardness) is represented by each of the heights H1 to H6, and the measurement result of the stickiness quantification (value corresponding to viscosity) is represented by each of the areas -A1 to -A6 of the corresponding part formed by the waveform.

[0060] In this embodiment, the evaluation results obtained from cooked rice by the analytical method using a tensipressor described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B are used as the hardness quantification, but other analytical methods may be used instead of this analytical method.

[0061] [Regarding the above embodiment] A program for implementing the functions of any of the components of any of the above-described devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and then loaded into a computer system for execution. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an operating system or peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and compact disc (CD)-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. The term "computer-readable recording medium" also includes devices that retain a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Such volatile memory may be, for example, RAM. The recording medium may also be, for example, a non-transitory recording medium.

[0062] The above program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. The above program may also be one that realizes part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the above program may be a so-called differential file that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system. A differential file may also be called a differential program.

[0063] Furthermore, the functions of any of the components in any of the above-described devices may be implemented by a processor. For example, each process in the embodiments may be implemented by a processor operating based on information such as a program and a computer-readable recording medium storing information such as the program. Here, the functions of each unit of the processor may be implemented by, for example, individual hardware, or may be implemented by integrated hardware. For example, the processor may include hardware, and the hardware may include at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. For example, the processor may be configured using one or more circuit devices mounted on a circuit board, or one or both of one or more circuit elements. An integrated circuit (IC) or the like may be used as the circuit device, and a resistor or a capacitor may be used as the circuit element.

[0064] Here, the processor may be, for example, a CPU. However, the processor is not limited to a CPU, and various types of processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may be used. The processor may also be, for example, a hardware circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor may also be, for example, composed of multiple CPUs, or may be, for example, composed of a hardware circuit such as a multiple ASIC. The processor may also be, for example, composed of a combination of multiple CPUs and a hardware circuit such as a multiple ASIC. The processor may also include, for example, one or more of an amplifier circuit or a filter circuit that processes analog signals.

[0065] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope that do not deviate from the gist of this disclosure.

[0066] [Note] (Configuration example 1) to (Configuration example 5) are shown.

[0067] (Configuration example 1) For the amylopectin of the polished rice to be evaluated, a chain length characteristic value representing the proportion of chains in the chain length range used for evaluation is obtained; evaluating the hardness of the cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice to be evaluated based on the acquired chain length characteristic value and relationship information that is generated in advance based on the analysis result of the cooked rice, the relationship between the chain length characteristic value and hardness; Evaluation method.

[0068] (Configuration example 2) The chain length range used for the evaluation is a chain length range in which the coefficient of determination representing the correlation between the chain length characteristic value and the cooked rice analysis result is 0.6 or more. The evaluation method described in (Configuration Example 1).

[0069] (Configuration example 3) The chain length range to be used for evaluation is one of the following: DP21-25, DP21-30, DP21-35, DP21-40, DP21-45, DP21-50, DP21-55, DP21-60, DP30-40, DP30-50, DP30-60, DP40-50, DP40-60, DP50-60, one of DP21 to DP33, or one of DP47 to DP60. The evaluation method according to (Configuration Example 1) or (Configuration Example 2).

[0070] (Configuration example 4) The cooked rice analysis result is a hardness quantification obtained by a tensipresser. The evaluation method according to any one of (Configuration Example 1) to (Configuration Example 3).

[0071] (Configuration Example 5) an acquisition unit that acquires a chain length characteristic value representing the proportion of chains in the chain length range used for evaluation for the amylopectin of polished rice to be evaluated; an evaluation unit that evaluates the hardness of the cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice to be evaluated, based on the chain length characteristic value acquired by the acquisition unit and relationship information that is generated in advance based on the cooked rice analysis result, which is an analysis result of the cooked rice, and that represents the relationship between the chain length characteristic value and hardness; An evaluation device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...Evaluation device, 11...Acquisition unit, 12...Evaluation unit, 15...Control unit, 16...Memory unit, 17...Operation reception unit, 18...Communication unit, 19...Output unit, 21...Display unit, 1011-1013...Fitting result, 2011...Plunger, 2012...Container, C1-C4...Cluster, D1...Correspondence information, F1-F6...Force, G1...Glucose, K1-K2...Connection unit, R1...Cooked rice, St1-St6...State

Claims

1. For the amylopectin of the polished rice to be evaluated, a chain length characteristic value representing the proportion of chains in the chain length range used for evaluation is obtained; evaluating the hardness of the cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice to be evaluated based on the acquired chain length characteristic value and relationship information that is generated in advance based on the analysis result of the cooked rice, the relationship between the chain length characteristic value and hardness; Evaluation method.

2. The chain length range used for the evaluation is a chain length range in which the coefficient of determination representing the correlation between the chain length characteristic value and the cooked rice analysis result is 0.6 or more. The evaluation method according to claim 1 .

3. The chain length range used for evaluation is one of DP21-25, DP21-30, DP21-35, DP21-40, DP21-45, DP21-50, DP21-55, DP21-60, DP30-40, DP30-50, DP30-60, DP40-50, DP40-60, DP50-60, one of DP21 to DP33, or one of DP47 to DP60. The evaluation method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The cooked rice analysis result is a hardness quantification obtained by a tensipresser. The evaluation method according to claim 1 or 2.

5. an acquisition unit that acquires a chain length characteristic value representing the proportion of chains in the chain length range used for evaluation for the amylopectin of polished rice to be evaluated; an evaluation unit that evaluates the hardness of the cooked rice obtained by cooking the polished rice to be evaluated, based on the chain length characteristic value acquired by the acquisition unit and relationship information that is generated in advance based on the cooked rice analysis result, which is an analysis result of the cooked rice, and that represents the relationship between the chain length characteristic value and hardness; An evaluation device comprising:

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