Application of food freezing technique to create a 6th industry : in effort for Placing added values to locally produced food in Iwami region of Shimane

Dr. Naraomi Imamura, alarmed by the rapidly declining population of the Japanese farmers as well as by the low market values of the produce and other products of the primary industry, proposed in the mid-90’s that the farmers effectively integrate the whole process of the primary (production), secondary (processing) and tertiary (service) sectors into what may be called a 6th industry (1×2×3). By this Imamura meant that the primary workers should also step into new areas of processing and sales/service to add extra values to their products while creating new employment. In the meantime freezing technique has made a great development in recent years to be able to retain and reproduce original freshness and taste of food, and is considered one of the safest ways to preserve food for its lack of dependence on chemicals. The advantages of freezing have been proven as shown by our several case studies, that they can lead the food production business to the front line of the 6th industry. Our local surveys showed that while many food business operators already take advantage of freezing in keeping stock of food materials as well as finished products, the general level of interests into more advanced models of freezers was not very high. The biggest mistake regarding freezing is a sole attention paid to the technique of freezing itself. Pre-processing, freezing, preservation and thawing are four phases of freezing process and they are all equally important to influence the result of the food preservation. Moreover further development of the method on each phase will make freezing more useful for the food business and the consumers.