Fresh Tremella Preservation Cold-Chain Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high moisture content of fresh Tremella fuciformis makes it prone to rot and mildew during storage and transportation, leading to potential bongkrekic acid toxin production, which poses health risks and affects product quality, with existing preservation methods lacking unified standards and effective toxin control.
Innovation Solution
A preservation method for fresh Tremella fuciformis suitable for cold-chain circulation, involving pretreatment, precooling, packaging, storage, and transportation, which includes selecting fresh mushrooms with low water content, precooling to 3° C.-5° C., using specific packaging materials, and controlling storage and transportation temperatures to inhibit microbial growth and toxin production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fresh tremella fuciformis is stored and transported at high moisture content to maintain freshness, then product quality and nutritional value are improved, but the risk of rot, mildew, and bongkrekic acid toxin production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by precooling the fresh tremella fuciformis to 0-4°C immediately after harvest, before storage and transportation. This preliminary cooling step reduces the initial temperature and moisture activity, creating conditions that inhibit microbial growth and prevent bongkrekic acid toxin production while maintaining high moisture content for freshness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from ambient conditions to controlled cold-chain temperatures (0-4°C storage, -18°C freezing). This parameter change fundamentally alters the microbial growth environment, preventing toxin production while allowing the product to maintain high moisture content and freshness throughout storage and transportation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If drying methods like hot air drying or natural drying are used to reduce moisture, then rot and mildew are prevented, but yellowing occurs and food safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to low temperatures (0-4°C) instead of high drying temperatures. This parameter change prevents the yellowing and quality degradation associated with thermal processing while still achieving rot and mildew prevention through cold-chain control of microbial activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high moisture (promoting microbial growth) into a benefit by using cold temperatures to control rather than eliminate moisture. The high moisture content is maintained for freshness, but the cold chain prevents microbial proliferation, turning what would be a harmful condition into a manageable one.
3Shape
If sulfur processing is applied to prevent yellowing during drying, then appearance quality is improved, but SO2 exceeds safety standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for chemical sulfur processing entirely by using cold-chain preservation. The low temperature environment naturally prevents yellowing and maintains appearance quality without requiring any chemical additives, thereby eliminating the food safety issue of excessive SO2 while preserving aesthetic quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively controls bongkrekic acid toxin production, ensures quality safety, and maintains the freshness and nutritional quality of fresh Tremella fuciformis by regulating water content, precooling, packaging, and temperature control throughout the cold-chain process.
Implementation Method 1
precooling: precooling the pretreated fresh tremella fuciformis put in a cold store at 1°C.-3°C., wherein a center temperature of the fresh tremella fuciformis at a stack center is precooled to 3°C.-5°C. within 5 h
Implementation Method 2
storage: storing the packaged fresh tremella fuciformis immediately, controlling a storage temperature to 1°C.-3°C., and performing cold-chain transportation within 24 h
Data Source
AI summary
A preservation method of fresh tremella fuciformis suitable for cold-chain circulation includes pretreatment of fresh tremella fuciformis: selecting fresh tremella fuciformis with no mildew, no rot, no disease and insect pests, and water content≤90% to enter subsequent cold-chain circulation; precooling: precooling the pretreated fresh tremella fuciformis put in a cold store at 1° C.-3° C., or performing vacuum precooling on the pretreated fresh tremella fuciformis; packaging, wherein a temperature of a packaging operation room of the fresh tremella fuciformis is less than or equal to 18° C., and time of the fresh tremella fuciformis from entering the packaging operation room to the completion of packaging does not exceed 1 h; storage: storing the packaged fresh tremella fuciformis immediately, controlling a storage temperature to 1° C.-3° C., and performing cold-chain transportation within 24 h; and cold-chain transportation: performing transportation by a refrigerated vehicle or by adding ice packs.