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Applied Food Science Lab
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The lab explores the value of foods obtained from animals, centering on milk and meat.
AboutAbout the lab
New value in food from milk and meat
The Applied Food Science Lab studies foods obtained from animals, mainly milk and meat.
The lab investigates these foods from multiple angles, from the molecular level up to larger scales, covering the elucidation of functionality, technological innovation, and ensuring safety.
The lab works on research that uses the properties of edible molds to raise the value of dairy products, and on developing technology to dissolve meat proteins, which are poorly soluble, in water.
The lab was established in April 2016 through the merger and reorganization of the former Meat Science Lab and the former Dairy Food Science Lab of the Department of Animal Science.
Key terms
- Filamentous fungi
- Mold-type microorganisms that grow by extending thin hyphae
- Secondary metabolites
- Various substances produced by organisms that are not directly essential for survival, such as aromas, pigments, and components used as medicines
- Myosin
- A protein that makes muscle contract and one of the main components of meat
NewsLab news
Paper on the role of carnosine in rigor mortis accepted by the Journal of Animal Science
Paper on the dispersion of myosin under salt-free conditions accepted by The Journal of Biochemistry
A doctoral student received the Excellent Presentation Award from the Hokkaido Branch of the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
Assistant Professor Toru Hayakawa received the 9th Ito Memorial Foundation Award
A master's student received the Best Presentation Award at the 12th Annual Meeting of the Hokkaido Society of Animal Science and Grassland Science
ResearchResearch themes
Milk and meat are not only sources of high-quality animal protein but also attract attention as foods rich in substances useful for human life processes. The lab studies animal-derived foods, mainly milk and meat, from multiple perspectives: elucidating their functionality, innovating technology, and ensuring safety.
*Illustrative imageRaising the Value of Dairy Products with the Power of Mold
The lab searches for filamentous fungi that readily produce enzymes and functional secondary metabolites, sometimes introducing mutations, and conducts basic research toward using their cultures as ingredients that enhance the flavor and functionality of dairy products. The core of the research is elucidating how the enzymes and secondary metabolites are produced.
*Illustrative imageHow Myosin Dissolves in Water
Myosin, one of the main proteins in meat, does not dissolve in water. The lab discovered that adding the amino acid histidine allows myosin to dissolve in water or in dilute salt solutions. By elucidating this mechanism, the lab aims to develop efficient solubilization technology and to apply it to other proteins.
*Illustrative imageWater-Soluble Meat Protein for Processed Foods
Myosin forms a gel when heated, and this property is thought to contribute greatly to the binding of ham and sausage. The lab found that the gel formed by heating myosin dissolved in water with histidine differs markedly from the usual gel.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Applied Food Science Lab are faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorHaruto Kumura
- Assistant ProfessorToru Hayakawa
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Cheeses 1 - Wellington, New Zealand” Daderot / CC0 (cropped)
- Raising the Value of Dairy Products with the Power of Mold: “Aspergillus oryzae (koji)” Forrest O. / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- How Myosin Dissolves in Water: “Hackfleisch-1” Rainer Zenz / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Water-Soluble Meat Protein for Processed Foods: “Sausage making-H-1” László Szalai (Beyond silence) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Cell and Tissue Biology Lab): “Prosciutto di Parma, Tagliere, Italia” Luca Dea / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Genetics and Reproduction Lab): “Bovine Blastocyst” Pandal00m / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Livestock Production Systems Lab): “NRCSWI00094 - Wisconsin (6833)(NRCS Photo Gallery)” Photo by Bob Nichols, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Animal Functional Nutrition Lab): “Holstein Friesian cows strip-grazing a turnip field - geograph.org.uk - 5284652” Evelyn Simak / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
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