Especially in various systems which are the models of food recycling, it has been lately attracted considerable attention by the companies related to food and drink industries on the measure for the usefulness, the economical performance and the burden of secondary environmental etc.

JA-Foods Oita Co., Ltd. [ K. Ogawa, President : Honjo, Kitsuki City Oita Prefecture ] have introduced *the high temperature fermentation processing system developed by Hoei Busan Co., Ltd. [ T. Nakashita, President : JA Kaikan, 15 Kamoike-shinmachi, Kagoshima City Kagoshima Prefecture ].

JA-Foods Oita Co., Ltd. is making the compost from wastes such as juice sediment etc., which were treated as industrial waste so far and is supplying it to farmhouses in the city. This company invested about Japanese yen 90 millions for the compost factory and have operated it from the beginning of April 2003 for manufacturing the compost. The waste materials are the juice wastes of mandarin orange ; Kabos, local citrus fruit ; Chinese citron and used tea leaves, coffee grounds and also the dregs of the sprits from potato.

The Beverage Japan, publisher of the magazine especially for soft drink manufacturers interviewed Mr. H. Kawano, senior managing director JA-Foods Oita Co., Ltd. and Mr. T. Nakashita about the compost factory and it's technology.

The Beverage Japan

Mr. Kawano, please tell us the reason why JA-Foods Oita selected Hoei-Busan's technology from many fermentation technologies in Japan.

Mr. Kawano

First of all, we would like to explain the reasons why we have to introduce a fermentation technology.

JA-Foods Oita as a food manufacture must treat internally all of waste materials from our products related to food and drink industries.

Our company is a member of the Japan Agricultural Cooperative Group, shall contribute the agriculture's businesses in Japan.

Especially a mandarin orange, Kabos and a carrot are local produces and the wastes from these products are also our objects for treating.

Then, we recognized that we have to introduce by ourselves a fermentation processing system instead of ordinary industrial waste treatment.

We investigated several technologies related to the fermentation processing in the light of the safety of a processed product (compost) for cultivating produces.

We found that the compost made by Hoei-Busan's technology has the feature of disease control for cultivation of vegetables. And the compost is organic, it effects to reduce the amount of agricultural chemicals used for cultivation.

The amount of the investment cost for the facility and also the running cost are very low.

After operating it, we found that the cost including the depreciation of the facility was just several Japanese Yen per 1Kgs of the wastes (of juice dregs etc.).

It means this cost is extraordinary cheaper than a cost charged by ordinary industrial waste treatment companies in this area.

The Beverage Japan

Mr. Nakashita, you named "W-ECO System" for your technology.

Mr. Nakashita

W-ECO synthesized from two words, that is ecology and economy.

This system has two proprietary functions, first air blowing piping system, secondly high temperature fermentation (70-80℃) processing stabilized by the aerobic bacillus, so that pathogenic bacillus, larva sand eggs from noxious insects, weeds seeds etc. can not survive.

Accelerating decomposition of growth prevention substances for produces is performed in a short period, the completely fermented compost is made odorless, and growth of plants becomes fastly.

In addition to these features, various organic wastes are processable at very low cost. The facility is simple, durable and is operated easily with reducing the cost.

Because of the proprietary design of the structure, the efficient fermentation and decomposition can be possible in a limited space.

The Beverage Japan

Please explain us the outline of the facility of JA-Foods Oita.

Mr. Kawano

The treatment capacity is 25 tons per day, it means 10,000 tons per year.

The factory is composed of a static pile fermentation tub which is 630m2, a two-tub typed rotary type mixing fermentation tub which is 1,078m3 (the type of mixing machine MT 5500NS), product warehouse 2,000m2 (including 700m2 for waste materials), compost bagging equipments etc.

As a result of actual operating, we found that this system has shorten the processing period about 1/3 compared with the situation until now and there has reduced largelyhe total cost.

This compost has been already used by many farmhouses in this area for cultivating local mandarin orange, strawberry and a specialty herb (Ohba), and has been reputed highly by them.

The waste materials such as juice dregs, used tea leaves etc. which are less than 70% of water contents, are directly but the waste materials which contain water more than 70% are mixed with the compost which water content became low, then these materials are fermentated in the static pile fermentation tub at over 80℃ for about 2 weeks, after this procedure, the materials are treated in the mixing fermentation tub fore 30 days.

The final product (compost) contains less than 35% of water.

The Beverage Japan

We suppose that the fermentation bacillus is important.

Mr. Nakashita

This bacillus is a kind of Actinomycetes and is made by blending three type of fermentation bacillus which are the high temperature bacillus (which has the heat resistance of 120℃), the mid temperature bacillus and the low temperature bacillus.

The brand name of our bacillus is "Bioaction®" and it performs stable and efficient fermentation.

Moisture adjustment and proper airing are essential fore proceeding good fermentation.

By mixing with the treating materials, the bacillus may be distributed evenly in that and by airing by blowers from below the bottom (lower level) the treating materials, the fermentation may be accelerating fermentation.

After 4 weeks, a good compost will be produced.

We have developed recently the compost which has the natural antibacterial substances capable of inhibiting growth of a Phycomyces (a kind of the mold), and we expect this compost will be also useful of controlling Botrytiscinerea and Sphaerotheca.

The Beverage Japan

Mr. Kawano, please explain us about your prospect (future plan) of relating to this technology.

Mr. Kawano

Before introducing this technology, we visited Unkai Brewing Co., Ltd. (Aya-cho, Miyazaki Prefecture).

They have been manufacturing the high quality compost from �@the dreg of potato etc., which is the by products of the liquor (sho-chu) with �Agarbages and sludges, the ratio of �@/�A is about 9/1.

In the case of our companies, the waste materials (the juice dregs of citrus fruits etc.) contain the oil / fats component of fruits and this component gives some calories to the bacillus, therefore, the decomposition processing can be carried out completely.

We understand that the decomposing capability of the bacillus depends on the temperature of (under treating) the materials, and if the temperature rises highly more than a fixed one, or if the period of the processing the materials is not maintained the settled days, then the ratio of decomposition will become low.

We think this is the big difference in the ratio of decomposition between our case and other cases (for example, the processing of dung and/or food residual substance).

We can dry our juice dregs for feeding livestock, but we have to pay much money for burning heavy oil and for processing exhaust gas.

Our company have been manufacturing also many kinds of vegetable juice such as greens and root vegetables, and we can make also good quality compost from these waste materials.

Now, our company have a plan to start new business relating to the compost.

The Beverage Japan

Mr. Kwano and Mr. Nakashita, we appreciate very much that you openly explained us about your business and technology.

Mr. Kawano and Mr. Nakashita

We also thank you very much for giving us this opportunity.

"W-ECO System"

Facility Manufacturer

Technology licensor

Hoei　Busan Co., Ltd.

JA Kaikan, 15 Kamoike-shinmachi, Kagoshima City Kagoshima JAPAN 890-0064

TEL +81 99 253 3178 FAX +81 99 256 3319

E-Mail

www.hoeibussan.com

Murakami Corporation Co., Ltd.

Yaesuhakata-building 8F, 2-18-30 Hakataeki-higashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka JAPAN 812-0013

TEL +81 92 434 6800 FAX +81 92 434 7123

E-Mail

www.murakami-co.com

[ The End written by Murakami Corporation ]

By courtesy of "Beverage Japan" , the only dedicated journal for the beverage processing industries in Japan, Murakami Corporation translated into English, the article (in Japanese) in the journal issued in September 2003.