Radiation Preservation of Foods and Nature of Microbial Radiation Resistance

Pulsed Ultraviolet Light

“…Literature has thoroughly documented that ultraviolet (UV) light is effective in killing microorganisms contaminating the surfaces of a variety of materials. Many researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of UV-light for reduction of microbial loads on food surfaces by inactivating the bacterial components and DNA fragments of microorganisms without adversely affecting the quality of the food (Stermer et al, 1987;Bank et al, 1990;Wallner-Pendleton et al, 1994;Jay, 1997;Kuo, 1997). The lethal action of UV-light is due to formation of lethal thymine dimers on the microbial DNA (Bank et al, 1990;Jay, 1997).…”

“…Many researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of UV-light for reduction of microbial loads on food surfaces by inactivating the bacterial components and DNA fragments of microorganisms without adversely affecting the quality of the food (Stermer et al, 1987;Bank et al, 1990;Wallner-Pendleton et al, 1994;Jay, 1997;Kuo, 1997). The lethal action of UV-light is due to formation of lethal thymine dimers on the microbial DNA (Bank et al, 1990;Jay, 1997). The conventional continuous UV systems produce UV-light with a power dissipation ranging from 100 to 1000 W. Generating these high-intensity energy density and power levels can be costly to the user, which demands that systems be designed for the maximum conversion and collection efficiency of UV radiation.…”