Methods for inspecting soft-shelled beans and methods for producing soft-shelled bean food products.

Abstract

Provided are the following: a method for inspecting a legume with which the state of the inside of a legume can be inspected with high precision without destroying the legume; and a method for producing a legume food product. The method for inspecting a legume comprises: a step for projecting x-rays (29) onto a legume (28) which was not subjected to wet heating, and thereby obtaining x-ray image information from the x-rays that have passed through the legume (28); and a step for inspecting the inside of the legume (28) on the basis of the x-ray image information.

Description

Inspection Method for Pod Beans and Manufacturing Method for Pod Bean Foods

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection method for pod beans and a manufacturing method for pod bean foods, and particularly relates to a method for inspecting the interior of pod beans and a manufacturing method equipped with such an inspection method.

[0002] Pod beans such as soybeans, peas, and empty beans, which consist of pods and the beans covered by the pods, are in demand as fresh foods. In particular, edamame, which is harvested when the soybeans are immature and green, is also widely popular as a frozen food that is stored frozen after heat cooking. As an inspection method for pod beans, a destructive inspection is known in which a part is extracted as a sample from a large number of pod beans for inspection.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection method in which transmitted light is lit from under a workbench to allow the light to pass through, and the presence or absence of foreign matter contamination is visually determined based on changes in the light quantity or color tone of the transmitted light.

[0004] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that by irradiating food with near-infrared light, which has a higher transmittance through food than visible light, imaging the transmitted light with a special camera, and performing image processing, it becomes possible to detect hair, insects, etc.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-162438

[0006] Press Release of National Institute of Technology, Toyohashi University of Technology, April 24, 2014

[0007] However, in the conventional method of inspecting by destroying samples, for foods whose commercial value decreases when destroyed, such as edamame, it is impossible to inspect all the foods, so inevitably inspection omissions occur and the accuracy of inspection decreases.

[0008] The inspection method of Patent Document 1 is a visual inspection method using visible light, so it is not necessary to destroy the food, but there is a problem that it is difficult to inspect the interior of the food in detail with visible light having a low transmittance.

[0009] The inspection method described in Non-Patent Document 1 raises concerns that the near-infrared light may not penetrate to the inside of the food, thus failing to achieve its inspection purpose. For example, if the pods of beans are thick, the near-infrared light hitting the pod will diffuse and will not reach the inside, making it difficult to inspect the condition inside the pod.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a method for inspecting pods and a method for producing pod foods that can inspect the internal condition of pods with high precision without destroying the pods.

[0011] The method for inspecting pea pods according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a step of irradiating pea pods that have not been subjected to wet heating with X-rays for inspection.

[0012] The method for producing pea pod food according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a step of irradiating pea pods that have not been subjected to wet heating with X-rays for inspection.

[0013] According to the present invention, by irradiating the pods with X-rays before wet heating, the boundary between the pod and the bean becomes clearer, and the bean region can be identified more reliably. Therefore, the internal condition of the pods can be inspected with high precision without damaging the pods.

[0014] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inspection apparatus according to this embodiment. This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the X-ray imaging unit. This is a flowchart showing the method for manufacturing pea pods according to this embodiment. This is an X-ray image of pea pods taken using the inspection method according to this embodiment. These are X-ray images of pea pods after wet heating; Figure 5A shows the image after boiling, and Figure 5B shows the image after steaming. This is a table showing the relationship between the tube voltage in the X-ray imaging unit and the X-ray image. This is a diagram for explaining the good product model; Figure 7A is an X-ray image of pea pods, Figure 7B is a graph showing the X-ray transmission intensity, and Figure 7C is a binary data image. This is a diagram for explaining the defective product model; Figure 8A is an X-ray image of pea pods, Figure 8B is a graph showing the X-ray transmission intensity, and Figure 8C is a binary data image. This is a schematic diagram for explaining the good product model. This is a diagram for explaining good pea pods; Figure 10A is a good product model, and Figure 10B is an X-ray image of a good product. Figure 11A is a model of the defective product, and Figure 11B is an X-ray image of the defective product. Figure 12A is a model of the defective product, and Figure 12B is an X-ray image of the defective product. Figure 13A is a model of the defective product (dented), and Figure 13B is an X-ray image of the defective product (dented), Figure 13C is a model of the defective product (discolored), and Figure 13D is an X-ray image of the defective product (discolored). Figure 14A is a model of the defective product, and Figure 14B is an X-ray image of the defective product. Figure 14B is an X-ray image of the defective product (discolored), taken using the inspection method according to this embodiment.

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] (Overall Configuration) The inspection device 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises an X-ray imaging unit 12, a storage unit 14, an input unit 16, an output unit 18, and a processing unit 20, which are connected via a bus 22. The processing unit 20 reads application programs such as basic programs and image processing programs that are stored in advance, and controls the entire inspection device 10 according to these various programs. The processing unit 20 can execute multiple programs (application programs, etc.) in parallel.

[0017] The storage unit 14 includes, for example, at least one of a semiconductor memory device, a magnetic tape device, a magnetic disk device, or an optical disk device. The storage unit 14 stores operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, data, etc., used for processing in the processing unit 20. For example, the storage unit 14 stores an inspection program as an application program, which causes the processing unit 20 to execute an inspection process to inspect the inside of a bean pod. The inspection program may be installed in the storage unit 14 from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM using a known setup program.

[0018] Furthermore, the storage unit 14 stores good quality data for good quality beans, as well as X-ray images, which will be described later. Good quality data is information about beans that good quality beans should have, such as numerical information about their size (area) and shape. In addition, the storage unit 14 may temporarily store temporary data related to a predetermined process.

[0019] The input unit 16 can be any device that can input data, such as a touch panel or keyboard. The operator can use the input unit 16 to input characters, numbers, symbols, etc. When the operator operates the input unit 16, it generates a signal corresponding to that operation. The generated signal is then supplied to the processing unit 20 as an instruction from the operator.

[0020] The output unit 18 can be any device capable of displaying images or videos, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 18 displays images or videos corresponding to the image data input from the processing unit 20. The output unit 18 may also be a device that prints images or text onto a display medium such as paper.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the X-ray imaging unit 12 irradiates the pea pods 28 with X-rays 29 and acquires X-ray image information by receiving the X-rays that have passed through the pea pods 28. The X-ray imaging unit 12 comprises an X-ray irradiator 23, an X-ray receiver 24, and a belt conveyor 26 as a transport unit. The X-ray irradiator 23 and the X-ray receiver 24 are arranged to face each other vertically with the belt conveyor 26 in between. The belt conveyor 26 transports a plurality of pea pods 28 in one direction. The plurality of pea pods 28 on the belt conveyor 26 are arranged so that they do not overlap each other vertically.

[0022] The X-ray irradiator 23 irradiates the pods 28 being transported on the belt conveyor 26 with X-rays 29 from above. It is preferable to irradiate the X-rays with the X-ray irradiator 23 under irradiation conditions where the tube voltage is 25kV to 50kV. If the tube voltage of the X-ray irradiator 23 is less than 25kV, the contrast inside the pods becomes unclear in the X-ray image. If the tube voltage of the X-ray irradiator 23 is greater than 50kV, the difference in color between the beans and pods becomes small in the X-ray image, making it difficult to identify the external shape of the beans.

[0023] The X-ray receiver 24 is a line sensor whose longitudinal length is approximately the same as the width of the belt conveyor 26. The X-ray receiver 24 receives X-rays that have passed through the pea pods 28 and outputs the obtained X-ray image information to the processing unit 20 via a LAN (Local Area Network) and a bus 22 (not shown).

[0024] (Method for manufacturing pod bean food) Next, a method for manufacturing pod bean food from pod bean 28 harvested from the field will be explained with reference to Figure 3. First, after harvesting the pod bean 28 in step SP1, it is briefly washed (step SP2). The washed pod bean 28 is transported from the field (step SP3) and brought into the factory (step SP4). At the factory, it is washed again multiple times (step SP5). An internal inspection is performed on the washed pod bean 28 (step SP6).

[0025] In the internal inspection (step SP6), the X-ray imaging unit 12 acquires X-ray image information of the pea pods 28 during transport. The processing unit 20 reads out the X-ray image information. The processing unit 20 extracts the characteristics of the pea pods 28 from the X-ray image information and obtains characteristic information. Based on this characteristic information, the processing unit 20 determines whether the pea pods 28 are good or bad.

[0026] Figure 4 shows an X-ray image of a pod 28 generated from the X-ray image information obtained by the above procedure. The X-ray image shows the beans 32 inside the pod 30. The processing unit 20 identifies the region of the beans 32 from the X-ray image information, for example. In the X-ray image, the bean region is displayed as darker than the pod 30 region because X-rays do not penetrate it as easily. The processing unit 20 identifies a certain region that is displayed as dark as the bean region.

[0027] Although not shown in this figure, the processing unit 20 identifies areas outside the bean region that have a certain degree of density different from the bean region and the pod region, as foreign objects other than beans 32, such as insects. Furthermore, if there are areas within the bean region that are partially lighter or darker in density, the processing unit 20 identifies that there is an external abnormality (deformation, discoloration, insect damage) on the surface of the beans 32. In this way, the processing unit 20 obtains characteristic information of the pod beans 28.

[0028] Next, the processing unit 20 determines the quality of the pod 28 based on the characteristic information obtained as described above. For example, the processing unit 20 compares the pod region with good product data. As a result of the comparison, the processing unit 20 determines that the pod is good if the difference between the pod region and the good product data is less than or equal to a certain value. On the other hand, the processing unit 20 determines that the pod is defective if the difference between the pod region and the good product data exceeds a certain value.

[0029] For example, the processing unit 20 reads image data of good beans from the storage unit 14 as good product data and compares it with the bean area. The processing unit 20 calculates the discrepancy rate of the bean area with respect to the good product data. The threshold for the discrepancy rate that distinguishes good products from defective products is predetermined from good bean pods 28. If the discrepancy rate is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the bean pod 28 is determined to be good; if it exceeds the threshold, the bean pod 28 is determined to be defective. By comparing the bean area with the good product data, the processing unit 20 can determine the quality of the size of the beans 32 and whether there are any abnormalities in their external shape. Furthermore, if the processing unit 20 detects an insect inside the bean pod 28, it determines that the bean pod 28 is defective.

[0030] Next, the pods 28 that are judged to be defective are removed from the belt conveyor 26 (step SP7). Subsequently, the pods 28 that are judged to be good are wet-heated (step SP8). Here, wet heating refers to a cooking operation that uses water as a heat medium, and specifically refers to steaming, boiling, or pouring hot water (for example, water at 80°C or higher) over the pods.

[0031] The wet-heated pods 28 are frozen (step SP9), then temporarily packaged (step SP10) and stored for a certain period (step SP11). Finally, the surface is inspected (step SP12), divided into smaller portions and packaged (step SP13), and then shipped as pod food.

[0032] (Operation and Effects) The X-ray imaging unit 12 acquires X-ray image information obtained by irradiating the pods 28 being transported with X-rays 29 from above and outputs it to the processing unit 20. Based on the X-ray image information input from the X-ray imaging unit 12, the processing unit 20 obtains characteristic information for each pod 28 and determines whether the pod 28 is good or bad by comparing the characteristic information with good product data. The inspection device 10 may input the determination result to the output unit 18. In this case, the output unit 18 can display an output result corresponding to the determination result along with an X-ray image generated from the X-ray image information.

[0033] In this embodiment, X-rays 29 are irradiated onto the bean pods 28 before wet heating to obtain X-ray image information of the bean pods 28. As shown in Figure 4, the boundary between the pod 30 and the bean 32 is clear, and the bean region can be identified more reliably. On the other hand, when wet heating is performed, water penetrates into the inside of the pod 30, making it difficult to identify the bean region. Incidentally, as shown in Figure 5A, after wet heating by boiling (100°C, 3 minutes), water enters the pod 102 of the bean pod 100, making the boundary between the bean 104 and the pod 102 unclear. The weight of the bean pods 28 after boiling was 102% of the weight before boiling. Even after steaming (100°C, 10 minutes) as a wet heating method, the boundary between the beans 110 and the pods 108 (Figure 5B) is unclear due to water entering the pods 108, making it difficult to identify the bean area. The weight of the beans 28 after steaming was 102% compared to before steaming.

[0034] In an environment where a sufficient amount of water is present around the beans to penetrate into the pod, heating the beans to a temperature that softens the bean tissue allows the water to penetrate into the pod. Here, a sufficient amount of water refers to the amount that remains liquid after penetrating into the pod. Therefore, heating that does not meet the above conditions is not included in wet heating. For example, washing or heating with warm water below 80°C, which does not allow water to penetrate into the pod, is not included in wet heating as defined herein. Furthermore, heating methods that do not use water as a heat medium, such as hot air heating or microwave heating, are not included in wet heating.

[0035] The inspection method of this embodiment determines whether the beans are good or bad based on the X-ray image information of the beans obtained by irradiating the beans 28 with X-rays 29 before wet heating. Therefore, the internal condition of the beans 28 can be inspected with high precision without damaging the beans 28.

[0036] In the inspection method of this embodiment, X-ray image information of all pea pods 28 being transported on the belt conveyor 26 can be obtained, so all pea pods 28 can be inspected. Therefore, by including this inspection method in the manufacturing method of pea pod food products, it is possible to easily manufacture pea pod food products that do not contain defective products.

[0037] The inspection method of this embodiment can also further grade the beans 28 that have been determined to be of good quality based on the X-ray image information of all the beans 28, for example, based on the size and shape of the beans 32.

[0038] Next, we will explain the results of our investigation into the relationship between the tube voltage in the X-ray irradiator 23 and the X-ray image. The tube current was set to 2 mA. The evaluation of good products was performed by extracting an image of the pod (1) from the whole image based on the obtained X-ray image information, extracting an image of the beans (2) from image (1), and identifying any abnormalities in the shape of the beans based on the intensity of image (2).

[0039] For good quality, points were awarded as follows: 5 points for a clear outline and a large difference in color between the pod and the bean; 4 points for a clear outline but a small difference in color between the pod and the bean because the pod appears black; 3 points for a slightly blurred outline; 2 points for a very unclear outline; and 1 point for no image. For poor quality, points were awarded as follows: 5 points for a very clear contrast in color between the bean and the pod and a difference in color between the bean and the pod; 4 points for a clear contrast in color between the bean and the pod and a difference in color between the bean and the pod; 3 points for a clear contrast in color between the bean and the pod but a small difference in color between the bean and the pod; 2 points for a unclear contrast in color between the bean and the pod and a large difference in color between the bean and the pod; and 1 point for a unclear contrast in color between the bean and the pod and a small difference in color between the bean and the pod. In actual judgment, characteristics based on the bean's outline, foreign objects (insects, etc.) inside the pod outside the bean area, and the size and shape of the bean itself are obtained. Next, foreign objects (insects, etc.) present within the bean area and characteristics based on bean discoloration are obtained from the shading of the bean area. For the overall judgment, if the evaluation score for good or bad products is 2 points or less, it is judged to be extremely difficult to judge and is rated C. Also, if the total evaluation score for good and bad products is 6 points or less, it is judged to be difficult to judge based on the outline of the bean or characteristics within the bean area and is rated C. If the total score is 7 points or more, it is judged to be possible to judge because at least one of good and bad products can be judged well and is rated B. If the total score is 10 points, it is judged to be even more reliable to judge because both good and bad products can be reliably identified and is rated A.

[0040] The results are shown in the table in Figure 6. It was confirmed that good and defective products can be determined when the tube voltage is in the range of 25kV to 50kV, and that a clearer X-ray image can be obtained when the tube voltage is in the range of 30kV to 40kV, making it more preferable.

[0041] The method for determining the quality of podded beans from feature information is not particularly limited, but for example, contour data, binary data, and grayscale data may be obtained as feature information. Contour data is the contour line of the bean extracted from X-ray image information. The processing unit recognizes areas with a large difference from the contour line of a good product as defective, thereby detecting defects such as chips and dents due to insect damage, insects adjacent to the bean, and small beans (improper bean size).

[0042] Binary data is simplified data obtained by binarizing the vicinity of a small region in the X-ray image information. The processing unit detects defects such as discoloration and depressions from this simple binary data. Grayscale data is not simply binarized data, but data that contains integral information of grayscale. The processing unit detects defects such as discoloration and depressions based on indicators such as the magnitude of changes in density and brightness.

[0043] Using Figures 7 and 8, a specific example of detecting discoloration defects based on binary data will be explained. The processing unit acquires binary data (Figure 7C) by binarizing the area near the bean region based on the X-ray image information shown in Figure 7A. This binary data is compared with good product data. In this figure, since no discoloration is observed in the binary data of the bean region, the mismatch rate is below the threshold. Therefore, the processing unit determines that the bean is a good product. Figure 7B shows the X-ray transmission intensity of the straight line portion in Figure 7A. In Figure 7B, the horizontal axis represents distance and the vertical axis represents X-ray transmission intensity. From Figure 7B, it can be seen that no unusual peaks are observed in the bean region, and that the bean 32 has no discoloration or indentation.

[0044] On the other hand, FIG. 8A shows X-ray image information of beans with discoloration or deformation. Based on the X-ray image information shown in FIG. 8A, when the vicinity of the bean region is binarized, the discolored part becomes clear (FIG. 8C). In the case of this figure, when the binary data of the bean region is compared with the non-defective product data, the mismatch rate exceeds the threshold. Therefore, the processing unit determines that the bean is a defective product. FIG. 8B shows the X-ray transmission intensity of the straight line part in FIG. 8A. In FIG. 8B, the horizontal axis represents the distance and the vertical axis represents the X-ray transmission intensity. From FIG. 8B, two peaks are recognized in the bean region, and it can be seen that the bean 42 is defective such as discolored.

[0045] Next, in the inspection method according to the present embodiment, specific examples of non-defective and defective green soybeans 28 that can be determined will be described. In the following description, the non-defective product data 34 refers to image data of non-defective beans. As shown in FIG. 9, the green soybean 28 is determined to be a non-defective product when the mismatch rate between the bean region 32 specified by the processing unit 20 and the non-defective product data 34 is below the threshold.

[0046] FIGS. 10A, B to FIGS. 14A, B are examples in which an X-ray image generated based on X-ray image information obtained by irradiating green soybeans as the green soybean 28 with X-rays having a tube voltage of 30 kV and a tube current of 2 mA, feature information obtained from the image, and non-defective product data are compared. Since the mismatch rate between the non-defective product data 34 and the bean region 32 of the green soybeans in FIGS. 10A, B is below the threshold, they are determined to be non-defective products.

[0047] FIGS. 11A, B are examples of defective products in which the beans 36 are small. Since the mismatch rate between the non-defective product data 34 and the bean region 36 of the green soybeans in this figure exceeds the threshold, they are determined to be defective products.

[0048] FIGS. 12A, B are examples of defective products in which worms 40 are present inside the pod 30 and the beans 38 are chipped. In the green soybeans in this figure, since the beans 38 are smaller than the non-defective product data 34 by the amount chipped by the worm-eaten part and the mismatch rate exceeds the threshold, they are determined to be defective products. Further, the processing unit 20 specifies the worms 40 as a region with a certain concentration and a certain coherence in a shade different from the bean region and the pod 30 region at a location adjacent to the beans 38, and determines the green soybeans as defective products from such a viewpoint.

[0049] Figures 13A to 13D show examples of defective beans 42 with external abnormalities (deformation, discoloration) on their surface (Figures 13A and 13C). If a bean 42 has a depression on its surface, the density of that area will be lighter in the X-ray image (Figure 13B). On the other hand, if a bean 42 is discolored on its surface, the density of that area will be darker in the X-ray image (Figure 13D). The processing unit 20 can determine that the bean 42 is a good product because, in terms of size, the discrepancy rate between the bean region 42 and the good product data 34 is below the threshold. However, because there are areas 44 or areas 48 within the bean region 42 where the density is partially lighter or darker, the processing unit 20 determines that the discrepancy rate exceeds the threshold in terms of color, identifies the area as having an external abnormality, and determines that the edamame is a defective product.

[0050] Figures 14A and 14B show an example of a defective product in which an insect 40 is present adjacent to a bean 32 (Figure 14A). The processing unit 20 determines that the bean itself is a good product because the discrepancy rate between the bean region 32 and the good product data 34 is below a threshold. However, the processing unit 20 identifies the insect 40 as a certain cohesive area with a different density than the bean region 32 and the pod 30 (Figure 14B), and from this perspective, determines that the edamame is a defective product.

[0051] (Variations) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the case of inspecting pods 28 that have not been wet-heated was described, but in the case of heating that does not use moisture as a heat medium, the inspection may be performed after heating. Figure 15 is an X-ray image taken by irradiating pods 50 heated by dry heat (160°C, 8 minutes) with X-rays at a tube voltage of 30kV and a tube current of 2mA. From this figure, it can be seen that since no water has entered the pod 52, the boundary between the pod 52 and the bean 54 is clear, and the bean region 54 can be identified more reliably. The weight of the pods 50 after heating by dry heat was 61% of the weight before heating.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the internal inspection was described as being performed immediately before wet heating (step SP8), but the present invention is not limited thereto. If the pods 28 have not been wet heated, the internal inspection may be performed at a time when the pods 28 have not been heated at all, for example, after washing after harvest (step SP2) and before transport (step SP3), or after entering the factory (step SP4) and before washing (step SP5).

[0054] In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the inside of the pod is inspected by determining one tube voltage condition, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the inside of the pod may be inspected based on multiple X-ray image information obtained by irradiating with X-rays under multiple conditions. Specifically, from multiple X-ray image information with different tube voltage conditions, images with conditions suitable for inspecting the pod, the outer shape of the bean, and the surface of the bean may be selected, and each pod may be inspected to determine whether it is a good or bad product.

[0055] 28 Pods and beans 29 X-rays 30 Pods 32 Beans 40 Insects

Claims

DEPCT6310 / 10 / 25621.

1. An inspection method for shelled beans which includes a procedure for inspecting shelled beans that have not been pre-wet heated with X-rays.

2. An inspection method for shelled beans according to Reputation 1 where the inner part of the shelled bean is inspected based on X-ray imaging data obtained from X-rays passed through the shelled bean.

3. An inspection method for shelled beans according to Reputation 1 or 2 where the X-ray irradiation conditions are at a lamp voltage of not less than 25 kV and not more than 50 kV.

4. An inspection method according to one of Reputations 1 through 3 where the shelled bean is edamame.

5. An inspection method according to one of Reputations 1 through 4 where the inspection procedure includes the detection of foreign matter within the shelled bean pod, defective shape of the bean kernels, defective size of the bean kernels, or color distortion of the bean kernels. 6.

7. A method of producing nuts under one of the claims 1 through 5 where the wet heating is stewing, boiling, or pouring hot water.

8. A method of producing nuts under claim 7 where the method also includes a step of inspecting nuts by irradiating nuts that have not been wet-heated with X-rays.

9. A method of producing nuts under claim 7 where the method also includes a step of wet-heating nuts that have been determined to be a defect-free product in inspection, where the inspection step includes examining the inner part of the nut based on X-ray imaging data obtained from X-rays passed through the nut.

10. A method of producing nuts under claim 7 or 8 where the X-ray irradiation conditions are at a lamp voltage of not less than 25 kV and not more than 50 kV.

11. A method of producing nuts under one of the claims 7 through 9, where the nut is edamame.

12. Any of the food processing methods for shelled nuts under claims 7 through 11, where the inspection procedure includes the detection of foreign matter within the pod, defective shape of the nuts, defective size of the nuts, or color distortion of the nuts. -----------------------------------------------------------DEPCT631. An inspection method for shelled nuts in which the procedure includes the inspection procedure of shelled nuts that have not been previously wet-heated with X-rays.

2. An inspection method for shelled nuts under claim 1 in which the inner part of the shelled nut is inspected based on X-ray imaging data obtained from X-rays passed through the shelled nut.

3. An inspection method for shelled nuts under claim 1 or 2 in which the X-ray irradiation conditions are at a lamp voltage of not less than 25 kV and not more than 50 kV. 4.

5. One of the methods for inspecting shelled beans under claims 1-3 where the shelled beans are edamame.

6. One of the methods for inspecting shelled beans under claims 1-4 where the inspection procedure includes the detection of foreign matter within the shelled bean pods, defective shape of the beans, defective size of the beans, or color distortion of the beans.

7. One of the methods for inspecting shelled beans under claims 1-5 where wet heating is stewing, boiling, or hot water pouring operation.

8. One of the methods for producing shelled bean products where the procedure includes an inspection procedure for shelled beans by irradiating shelled beans that have not been wet-heated with X-rays.

9. The process of producing shelled nuts under claim 7 or 8, where the X-ray irradiation conditions are at a lamp voltage of not less than 25 kV and not more than 50 kV; 10. The process of producing shelled nuts under any of claims 7 through 9, where the shelled nuts are edamame; 11. The process of producing shelled nuts under any of claims 7 through 10, where the inspection procedure includes the detection of foreign matter within the pod, defective shape of the nuts, defective size of the nuts, or color distortion of the nuts; 12.Methods of preparing legumes under any of the claims 7 through 11, where wet heating is stewing, boiling or pouring hot water operations.