Development of a new sterilization method for oysters using a CO2 laser

Abstract

　In general, shellfish contain a number of bacteria and viruses that can cause food poisoning. However, because raw food is so delicious, some people take the risk of eating it, and a certain number of cases occur every year. The bacteria that contaminates shellfish are known to concentrate in an organ called the digestive gland. If the organs can be sterilized with pinpoint heat, it will be possible to eat them safely while still enjoying the taste of eating raw food. Therefore, we investigated a method of heat sterilization of the digestive gland with pinpoint accuracy using a CO2 laser. As a result, 99.5% of the bacteria were sterilized.