Hydrolyzed proteins have an advantage over intact proteins in terms of their rate of digestion and absorption. The high-pressure enzymatic extraction (HPE) method has been shown to improve the quality characteristics of hydrolysates from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Kolbe) larvae (PBSL). This study investigated the effects of the HPE treatment period, a key candidate factor, on the quality characteristics of PBSL HPE hydrolysates. The hydrolysates were prepared by HPE for 0, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 h under optimized conditions—solid:solvent ratio (1:14 [w/v]), using complex proteases (Alcalase:Flavorzyme:Bromelain = 1:1:1, 4%), treatment temperature (50oC), and pressure level (100 MPa). All quality characteristics tended to be superior with longer HPE treatment periods, most of which had the highest values at 30 h, with no significant difference or a slight decrease after that. The quality characteristics of the PBSL HPE hydrolysates were improved by 1.3-1.7 times under conditions of optimal HPE treatment period.

The objective of this study was to develop a standard for setting a legal system for senior-friendly food. We conducted a web-based survey on 95 food industry workers. Answers to 10 questions in the survey were analyzed using SPSS 19.0. Important factors to consider when it comes to food for seniors are the supply of balanced nutrition, enhancement of functionality, and promotion of convenience. A total of 47 respondents (51.1%) felt the need for a legal system for senior food, and they thought that a certification for senior-friendly food would be advantageous for companies. They said that there should be texture standards to promote ease of chewing, standards for functionality, nutritional standards, and safety standards to certify senior-friendly foods. A total of 41 people (44.6%) said that it was reasonable to classify Japanese food into five levels of senior-friendly foods according to ease of chewing. Certification management received the highest score in implementing an activation plan for senior-friendly food.