JPS5890985A - Method for marking food with character, figure of the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To mark a food by an easy operation, enable a marking interval to be freely adjusted and enable the size, line width, color density, depth and the like of the mark to be sufficiently adjsusted, by a method wherein characters, figures or the like are baked on a food by irradiating with laser beams. CONSTITUTION:Characters, figures or the like are formed on a metallic plate, a ceramic plate or a glass plate as a transparency, and are baked on a food by an equipment such that laser beams are irraidated onto a surface of the food through the transparency part. Alternatively, the characters, figures or the like are formed on a metallic plate, a ceramic plate or a glass plate with the blank part as a transparency, and are baked onto the food by irradiating with laser beams. As a further alternative, a stamp produced by die-stamping the characters, figures or the like on a metallic plate, a ceramic plate or a glass plate as projected surfaces is irradiated with laser beams, is heated to a desired temperature and is pressed against the surface of a food, to bake the characters, figures or the like onto the food.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for marking food products with marks such as letters and figures using laser light.

Foods targeted by the method of the present invention include fresh fish and shellfish, unprocessed products, seafood paste products, processed meat products, processed starch sugar products, processed legume products, and vegetables.

Currently, the methods of marking food products include coloring with ink and the like, stamping with a hot iron, and the like. The main problems with these methods are as follows.

Ink marking method (1) Ink is dispersed. (It disperses especially when there is a lot of water.) (2) Food-grade ink is limited.

(6) Cannot be used for deep-frying. (Soluble in oil-based ink, not in water-based ink.) (4) Disappeared during heat treatment.

(1) The marking interval is long.

(2) In the case of fried foods and high-fat foods, protein decomposition products, acrolein, etc. are generated, which deteriorates the working environment. (3) Some foods (those with extremely high water content) cannot be marked.

(4) Depending on the food (food with a lot of sugar), stains may be noticeable.

(5) Depending on the food, the display shelf is prone to rot.

Currently, there is no effective marking method.

5- That is, an effective marking method is one in which the marking interval can be freely adjusted and any food can be marked with fine adjustment.

While researching the above-mentioned effective marking method, the present inventor discovered that laser light under certain conditions is effective for marking.

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail.

The contents of the food subject to the method of the present invention are as follows.

(Note) Since there is a wide variety, several representative examples are listed for each section.

(b) Fresh fish and shellfish or heated and seasoned processed products such as raw salmon, salted salmon, sea bream, etc.

Raw salmon, salted salmon, bonito, pickled seaweed fillets, etc.

Clams, turban shells, etc.

Grilled sea bream, bonito flakes, kelp, and dried fish.

(b) Unprocessed products Thick fried eggs, date rolls, thin fried eggs, and omelets.

(c) Fish paste products, kamaboko, hanpen, chikuwa, fried fish, Naruto 0 (d) Livestock processed products, ham, sausage, cold beef, grilled pork, (e) Starch, processed sugar products, bread, castella, Chinese steamed buns, rice crackers, Japanese sweets, mochi.

(f) Beans processed products Tofu, grilled tofu, koya tofu, floating, fried tofu.

(g) Vegetables, fruits, or their processed products Rolled cabbage, oden radish, turnip, mandarin orange, banana, mushroom prediction.

There are two methods for marking food products, such as letters and figures, using the laser light of the present invention: the direct method, in which the mark is burned directly onto the food product by laser light irradiation, and the direct method, in which a stamp is irradiated with laser light and heated to the required temperature. There is an indirect method of burning the mark by pressing this stamp onto the food.

More specifically, (A) letters, figures, and watermarks are formed on a metal plate, ceramic plate, or glass plate, and the laser beam passes through the entire watermark part of the cedar plate and is irradiated onto the food surface. A method of printing letters, figures, etc. onto the food by irradiating the watermark with a laser beam.

(B1 Form the margins of characters, figures, etc. as watermarks on a metal plate, ceramic plate, or glass plate, place a cedar plate on the food surface, and fully irradiate the cedar plate with l/-boo light to mark the letters, figures, etc. on the food. Burning method. (In this case, the food is darkly colored except for the letters and figures, and the letters and figures are colored darkly or marked with the food's original condition.) FC1 food and irradiation. A method of completely burning letters, figures, etc. on the food by relatively moving a laser beam to write letters, figures, etc. on the food surface. ) (Direct method)
A method of irradiating a stamp with all convex shapes, etc., with a laser beam, heating it to the required temperature, and pressing the stamp against the entire surface of the food to completely burn the letters, graphics, etc. onto the food. (
It is classified as a method of Hirotsu (indirect method).

Marking food products with letters, pictures, trademarks, etc. is an important issue that includes many aspects such as decoration, service, advertising, brand effect, etc. However, as mentioned above, marking increases costs and hinders mass production, so it is currently not possible to implement it effectively.

Therefore, although the laser beam marking of the present invention is not ideal, it can meet our wishes to a considerable extent. That is, according to the method of the present invention, the operation is easy and the marking interval can be adjusted freely, while the size, line width, color shading, depth, etc. of the marks can be adjusted sufficiently.

Avoid giving examples of specific characters, strokes, and trademarks because they are similar. The specifications of the mark made by the method of the present invention are as follows.

-9- (Shaving) mm is above the maximum limit (Note) The practical value is a general condition used in practical use and can be adjusted freely if desired.

Adjustment of mark size If the laser output is determined by the mark hue, line width, depth, marking speed, mark size, and marking method, the above method (Al, (Bl) may be effective with some fine adjustment, It is difficult to freely adjust the size of the mark.In this case, it is impossible to change the size of the mark by several times using the method described above (Dl) at the cost of some marking speed (mainly). It is easy. If you want to adjust it even more freely, you have to use the above method (C1).

The metal plates, ceramic plates, glass plates, etc. used in the method of the present invention are as follows.

Since the laser beam is reflected by the plate surface, it is generally preferable to select the following materials for the composite material. However, there is no problem as long as it has heat resistance t.

○The above method (the preferred old material of the river (Note: with CO2 laser light as standard) Materials (metals) that have not been mirror polished Ceramic material Quartz glass material ○The above method (A) (The preferred material of Bl) Note・CO2
(With laser as standard) Mirror-polished wood (metal) Heat-resistant colored glass material During the above operations, spray vinegar (air, etc.) onto the area that will be exposed to the laser beam, or increase the adhesion resistance of carbon grains. It is effective to do so (scorch).

In the relationship between laser light and coloring, the shade of coloring depends on the type of laser, its intensity + 9. Of course, it depends on the irradiation time for dogs, but the preferred mark hue also has a great deal to do with the quality of the food, that is, the composition. For example, the hues of foxes and the like are intercondyles that are difficult to establish using laser conditions alone.

According to the above-mentioned method FA, )fBl, the shading of the colored mark is such that when a fish paste product (kamaboko) is marked with a laser under the laser conditions in which daikon radish is marked pale yellow, it is marked dark brown. In terms of composition, there are large differences in the amount of sugar and amino acids mixed in.

From the above, under certain laser conditions, the degree of coloring generally varies greatly depending on the composition of the food, although it also depends on the moisture content. The above method (J) was performed under the same laser conditions as above.
] If 'r ceramic is used as paulownia wood, the daikon radish will be dark brown, and the ``kamaboko'' mark will be nearly black. This is a relationship between the difference in how laser light is used in the direct method and the indirect method and the laser reflectance, that is, the efficiency.

(Note: The above experimental laser was based on a CO2 laser.) Also, when the above method (C) is performed by narrowing down (increasing) the focus of the laser beam on "Kamaboko", a pattern is carved and formed. The depths are charred black to the point where they are hardly noticeable. As described above, the relationship between laser light and colored marks is diverse.

Therefore, it is preferable to determine the relationship between the laser beam and the colored mark based on the following procedure once the target food has been determined.

■Type of laser and its output I can summarize the above.

However, the laser used in the method of the present invention is
Laser, YAG laser, Ruby laser, Ql
This is commonly referred to as a processing laser such as an ASS laser.

The laser used in the present invention has the advantage of being able to freely adjust the marking speed.Continuous oscillation is preferable to Norms oscillation.For marking food products, it is not necessary to use a strong laser beam, so the waiting time can be reduced. It is preferable to decide on a laser by considering all the economic effects.

From the above, it is clear that the method of the present invention can be carried out preferably by YA () laser, CO□ laser, etc. Also, from the economic point of view, the C02 laser is more preferable.

Therefore, the following explanation of the conditions of the laser of the present invention is as follows:
The relationship between the method of the present invention and the C02 laser will be mainly described with respect to the C02 laser, as well as its output.
The question of which method to adopt is also an important issue.

Next, these will be compared and explained. The standard laser used is a CO laser. Furthermore, with a constant laser output and a defined focus diameter, the defined mark effect varies greatly depending on the type and moisture content of the food.

Therefore, details are left to the examples. In matters, mark speed 2
o, i seconds ~ 3 seconds / mark j m, tn ~ / Omn
t diameter / mark 0 (Il the above method (DJ) The mark speed is slow and the laser output is 00SW
It can be put into practical use from If you use a ceramic stand or a quartz glass stand, it will be several times faster with the same output. 14- Also, the operation stamp temperature will vary depending on the number of stamps heated 71 times and the target food (sugar, amino acid-containing sugar, etc.)
However, practically, the temperature is preferably 300°C or higher.

A laser output of 3 W or more is preferred.

The feature of the matter is that when the temperature of the table becomes high, it can be marked by irradiating it several times or even several times. Therefore, if you can stamp 75 times with a small amount of power and heat the table, it will take 0.6 seconds. ~
(11) Methods (A,) and (B) If the marking speed is slow, the laser output/W can be reduced to 30W, which can be used for practical purposes.
The above laser output is preferable.

(1 old method (C) It can be put to practical use from the simple operation of writing.

A laser output of /W or more is suitable.

The following are details of the present invention. The details are summarized and the characteristics are as follows.

(1) Marking of letters, figures, etc. on food using laser light.

(2) When applying the marks listed in Jz, the entire mark is engraved and stamped on a metal plate, ceramic plate, or glass plate, or watermarks or non-watermark areas are marked, or patterns are applied. Either draw it by writing or mark it using the method described in the text details.

(3) Mark materials such as ceramics and glass with low output by skillfully combining it with CO2 laser light.

(4) By using laser light, marking on food products is not only economically effective in terms of workability, marking effect, and production system, but also environmentally friendly, as detailed in the main text. The following is a detailed description of the application of the present invention to foods.〇〇Food group (a) Fresh fish and shellfish or processed products thereof, etc., with letters, images, trademarks, etc. The main purpose of marking all the patterns is often for advertising and brand effect.

The content of marks is diverse, but the main ones are the name of the place of origin, name of the processing manufacturer, name of the handler, grade distinction mark, trademark, layer of pattern, etc. The specific items covered are as follows.

(Note) Since there are many species, representative examples are listed and explanations of their genuses are substituted. Mark 1 & select freely 0 Items with a high-class image, such as raw salmon, salted salmon, and sea bream.

Pickled fillets such as raw salmon, salted salmon, bonito, spinach, cod, squid, cod, etc. 1 = 1 clam, turban shell, large shrimp, crab, etc.

These include grilled sea bream, bonito flakes, kelp, kusaya, dried fish, etc.

A feature of the present invention for these foods is that they are marked using laser light, and that rotting, deterioration, etc. are less likely to occur, especially when marking living things, etc., compared to the ironing method. This is because the denatured area of proteins, etc. around the mark is small. In other words, the mark can be marked without damaging the life of large living shrimp, crabs, etc., and the brand effect is significant. 17 - Shii O O Said food group (b) When marking all patterns such as letters, drawings, trademarks, etc. on egg processed products, the main purpose is often for decoration, advertising, and brand effect.

The contents of a mark vary widely, but the main ones include the name of the processing manufacturer, the name of the operator, trademarks, decorations, and services.

The specific target species are as follows: (Note) Since there are many species, please list all representative examples, and feel free to change or mark the genus description.

Thick fried eggs, date rolls, thinly fried eggs, omelets, chawanmushi, and more.

The features of the present invention for these foods are that they are marked using a laser beam, and that the deterioration area around the mark is small, resulting in improved shelf life compared to the ironing method. It is possible to make marks on the surface of the coagulated chawanmushi and omelet.

○Food Group ()・) When marking patterns such as letters, pictures, trademarks, etc. on seafood paste products, the main purpose is often for decoration, advertising, and brand effect.

The content of marks varies widely, but the main ones are the name of the place of origin, the name of the manufacturer, the name of the handler, grade distinction marks, trademarks, emblems, etc.

The main target species are as follows ((1) Since there are many species, representative examples will be listed and explanations will be changed to the genus. Also, the position to mark can be freely selected.) That's it for bento, chikuwa, and satsuma-age.

The features of the present invention for these foods are that they are marked using laser light and that the area of deterioration around the mark is small, resulting in improved shelf life compared to the broiling method. Since fried foods have traditionally been fried using a broiling method, many decomposed products such as acrolein are generated, and the working environment for workers is not necessarily good.

According to the method of the present invention, the laser beam can be transmitted in any direction using a reflector, etc., so the user can perform remote control, and therefore even if decomposed products are generated, the operator can directly contact them. can be safely removed without any problems. Additionally, using a large amount of gas burners to heat the roasting iron is highly likely to result in disasters including burns, but according to the method of the present invention, there is no need for the worker to be located directly at the work station as described above. Therefore, accidents such as burns can be prevented.

○Food Group (d) The main purpose of marking Toyama processed products with patterns such as letters, drawings, trademarks, etc. is often for advertising and brand effects. There are many different types of marks, but the main ones include the name of the processing manufacturer, the name of the operator, grade distinction marks, trademarks, and coats of arms. The main target species are as follows (Note) As there are many species, representative examples will be listed and explanations of their genus will be substituted. Also, the position to be marked can be freely selected.
No Mu, sausage, cold beef, grilled pork, hamburger, roast chicken.

A feature of the present invention in these foods is that they are marked using laser light. And since the altered area around the mark is small, storage stability is improved compared to the broiling iron method. Especially for cold beef, roast chicken, etc.
Strong brand effect.

○Food group (e) The main purpose of marking all patterns such as letters, drawings, trademarks, etc. on starch, sugar processed products, etc. is often for the purpose of marking, decoration, advertising, and brand effect.

There are many different types of marks, but the main ones include the name of the processing manufacturer, name of the operator, grade distinction mark, trademark, and coat of arms.

The target long-lived animals are as follows: (Note) Since there are many species, all representative examples will be listed and explanations will be replaced by their genus. Also, you can freely select the W to mark.

Bread, castella, Chinese sweets, rice crackers, Japanese sweets, rice cakes 1 That's all.

91- A feature of the present invention in these foods is that they are marked using laser light. By using the method (A, Bl (C)), it is possible to mark efficiently regardless of surface irregularities.
Then, the number of burnt spots that were resistant to the "trowel" gradually increased.
Although the efficiency is significantly reduced, the various obstacles are less noticeable in the method of the present invention.

○The above food group (f) When marking patterns such as letters, pictures, trademarks, etc. on legume processed products, the main purpose is often for decoration, advertising, and overall brand effect.

There are many different types of marks, but the main ones include the name of the processing manufacturer, name of the operator, grade distinction mark, trademark, and coat of arms.

The main targets are as follows.

(Note) Since there are many species, representative examples will be listed and the genus explanation and clarification will be changed. Freely select +1 to mark.

Tofu, grilled tofu, koya tofu, float, fried tofu, yuba, that's it.

The features of the present invention regarding these foods are as follows: 22- Since the rollers are marked using a laser beam and the altered area around the mark is small, the flavor is hardly affected compared to the broiling method. and so on.

○Food group (g) The main purpose of marking vegetables or their processed products with patterns such as letters, drawings, trademarks, etc. is often for decoration, advertising, and brand effect.

The content of marks is diverse, but the raw materials include places of origin, names of processing manufacturers, names of handlers, grade marks, trademarks, emblems, etc.0 The main items covered are as follows: (Note) Since there are many types, , describe representative examples and replace with explanations of their genuses. Also, the location to cork can be freely selected.

It's more than radish, pickled radish, celery, turnip, roll gearbela, mandarin orange, baka, and matsutake mushroom.

The feature of the present invention for these foods is that they are marked using laser light, and the area of deterioration around the mark is small, so it is particularly important for perishables to have a significant impact on their freshness and shelf life. You can mark without any problem.

It is also extremely effective to be able to mark fruit, regardless of its freshness.

To further enhance the brand effect of mushrooms that have a storefront image such as pine mushrooms, and can be processed even for items that have previously been extremely difficult to label with heat utilization marks in terms of freshness.

Next, the detailed implementation of the present invention will be explained with reference to side tones.

(Note) (1) Examples (1), (2), (3), and (4) are illustrated with text. However, the mechanisms and operations from Example (5) to Example (55) are almost the same as in the previous text examples, so to avoid caution, they are summarized in a table. Since C1 is carried out by hand, the number of seconds displayed is experimentally the longest irradiation time for the hour wheel.Therefore, in practice, by automating it, the number of seconds for irradiation can be reduced by a considerable amount.

(3) An outline of the mark position is added to the section of 1. "Shape of food" in the table.

(4) Add the contents of the mark in the "Line width" section of the table.

(5) "Accumulative acid spraying" is marked in the notes.

Example (1) [The above method (river)] CO2 relay'-output/KW, and the above food group (
(b) All items with a smooth surface with "Kasunboko" were used, the marking method was the above method CI], the size and width of the mark was 117)t, height was 2 ohm, coloring was dark brown, depth/
, jmm , base material made of iron, average line width / , j ra
m, the letter of the mark is "written" Laser irradiation time on the base material is 1 second, number of marks is 7j, number of seconds per mark saw is 0.3
3 seconds, stamp interval 0.3 seconds, average seconds per mark θ, 6
4 seconds.

Example (2) [Method (A)] Using the CO2 laser output meter W, the food group (B)
``Satsumaage'' with crepe stripes on the surface 25- was used, the marking method used was the method fAl described above, the size of the mark was 23 mm in width and 2 jmm in height, coloring dark brown depth/
, J' mm Stainless steel base material average line width/, Omm,
The character of the mark is "ki" and the irradiation time of the laser table material is 0.1
Seconds Number of marks/ke Number of seconds per mark θ, /second Stamp interval 06.2 seconds / Average second per mark J3 seconds.
Oxygen spraying at the time of marking is Example (3) [Method (B) above] CO2 laser output output meter W is used for the food group (B).
Use a "Hanpen" with a smooth surface. Use method (B) above for the marking method. The size of the mark is width/j.
mm, length/j mm S coloration dark brown, depth fine, composite material stainless steel, average line width 2 mm, mark is "Ki"
, Laser irradiation time for the base material 0.1 seconds, number of marks saw, number of seconds per mark saw 0.1 seconds, stamp interval 00.
2 seconds, average second per mark 0.3 seconds Oxygen spray at mark.

Example (4) [Method (C)] C02 laser output 10W Food group 26
- All of the "Banben" in (b) with smooth surfaces were used, the marking method was the method described above (C1 was used, the size of the mark was 0 mm in width, ≠ Orrtm, brown in color, slight in depth, Average line width / mm, mark character "Ki", handwriting method laser irradiation time 3 seconds, number of marks / ko, seconds per mark saw 3 seconds, stamp 1 ■ interval O 1,2 seconds, / average seconds per mark 3 ．．
λ seconds. Oxygen spray at mark.

＼ 27- Continuation of page 1 ■Int, C1, 3 identification code Office serial number 10
1 6971-4B B 41 J 3100 80
04-2C@ Inventor: Hiroshi Sakurai, Nippon Steel Corporation Basic Research Laboratory, 1618 Ida, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi Inventor: Katsuhiro Minamida, Nippon Steel Corporation Basic Research Laboratory, 1618 Ida, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City Person Kiyoshi Takano 6-22-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Kibunai Co., Ltd. 0 Inventor Kazuo Hara 6-22-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Kibunai Co., Ltd. 0 Inventor Author Fusashi Kiuchi 6-22-4 Tsukiji, Tokyo Inventor Yoshihiro Sekino 6-22-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Kibunai Co., Ltd. 0 Inventor Shigenobu Shibukawa 6-22-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Kibunai Co., Ltd. Applicant Nippon Steel Corporation 2-6-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for marking food with letters, figures, etc., which is characterized by printing letters, figures, etc. on the food by irradiating the food with laser light. 2. Form letters, figures, etc. as watermarks on a metal plate, ceramic plate, or glass plate, place the plate so that the laser beam passes through the watermark area and irradiates the food surface, and irradiate the laser beam on the watermark area. A method for marking a food with letters, figures, etc. as set forth in claim 1, wherein the food is irradiated to completely burn out the letters, figures, etc. 5. Form the margins of letters, figures, etc. on a metal plate, ceramic plate, or glass plate as a watermark, place the plate on the food surface, and irradiate the plate with laser light to burn the letters, figures, etc. onto the food. A method for applying marks such as letters and figures to food according to claim 1. 1-4. Claim 1 states that the food and the laser light to be irradiated thereon are relatively moved so as to write characters, figures, etc. on the surface of the food to burn letters, figures, etc. on the food. A method of marking food with letters, shapes, etc. 5. A method for applying marks such as letters and figures to the food according to claim 1, in which the food is fresh fish and shellfish or processed products thereof. 6. A method for applying marks such as letters and figures to the food according to claim 1, in which the food is an egg-processed product. 7. A method of applying marks such as letters and figures to the food according to claim 1, in which the food is a fish paste product. 8. A method for applying marks such as letters and figures to the food according to claim 1, which is a processed whole animal meat product. 9. A method for marking with letters, figures, etc. with gold wire on the food according to claim 1, which is a food whole starch or sugar processed product. 10. A method for marking a food such as letters or figures on a food according to claim 1, wherein the food is a legume processed food. 11. A method for marking a food such as a letter or a figure on a food according to claim 1, wherein the food is a vegetable, a fruit, or a processed product thereof. 12. A stamp with letters, figures, etc. printed on a convex surface on a metal plate, ceramic plate, or glass plate is irradiated with laser light, heated to the required temperature, and pressed against the surface of the whole food to stamp letters, figures, etc. on the food. Characterized by burning,
A method of marking food with letters, figures, etc. 13.Special i where the food is fresh fish or shellfish or its processed products, etc.
f'F A method for applying marks such as letters and figures to food according to claim 12. 14. A method for adding characters, figures, etc. to a food according to claim 12, wherein the food is a non-processed product. Claim 12 where the 15o* product is a seafood product.
A method of marking the foods listed in the section with letters, figures, etc. 16.Claim 12, which is a food whole animal meat processed product
A method of marking the foods listed in the section with letters, figures, etc. 17. A method for marking a food such as letters or figures as set forth in claim 12, wherein the food is a starch or sugar processed product. 18.Claim 12 in which the food is a legume processed food
A method of marking the foods listed in the section with letters, figures, etc. 19. A method for marking a food such as a letter, a figure, etc. on a food according to claim 12, which is a whole vegetable, fruit, or a processed product thereof.