Ultraviolet‐C Light Sanitization of English Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Packaged in Polyethylene Film

Abstract

Food safety is becoming an increasing concern in the United States. This study investigated the effects of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light as a postpackaging bactericidal treatment on the quality of English cucumber packaged in polyethylene (PE) film. Escherichia coli k-12 was used as a surrogate microbe. The microbial growth and physical properties of packaged cucumbers were analyzed during a 28-d storage period at 5 °C. Inoculating packaged cucumbers treated at 23 °C for 6 min with UV-C (560 mJ/cm(2) ) resulted in a 1.60 log CFU/g reduction. However, this treatment had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the water vapor transmission rate or oxygen transmission rate of the PE film. Results show that UV-C light treatment delayed the loss of firmness and yellowing of English cucumber up to 28 d at 5 °C. In addition, UV-C light treatment extended the shelf life of treated cucumber 1 wk longer compared to untreated cucumbers. Electron microscopy images indicate that UV-C light treatment influences the morphology of the E. coli k-12 cells. Findings demonstrate that treating cucumbers with UV-C light following packaging in PE film can reduce bacterial populations significantly and delay quality loss. This technology may also be effective for other similarly packaged fresh fruits and vegetables.

UV-C Light Treatment to Extend the Shelf-Life of Paneer (Un-ripened Soft Cheese)

“…Also, the penetration depth of the UV-C light on the solid food products could be less deep compared to clear the liquid food products, which affected the destruction of microorganisms below the surface of the paneer. The authors reported that the application of UV-C light irradiation could be used for the surface decontamination of fresh food products and factors such as food product surface characteristics, and location of organisms were found to play significant role [33]. The inactivation of inoculated Penicillium roqueforti and Listeria monocytogenes was studied in the packed and unpacked cheeses by UV-C light application and reported reductions of 1.32 log and 1.24 log in packed and unpacked cheeses [34].…”

Biosafety steps in the manufacturing process of spray-dried plasma: a review with emphasis on the use of ultraviolet irradiation as a redundant biosafety procedure

“…Technological advancements have resulted in the development of UV-C irradiation devices that create a turbulent flow which allows for effective irradiation of opaque fluids of high viscosity. These UV devices have been widely used in the food industry for the treatment of complex opaque liquids or other substances including juices [49][50][51][52][53], tea [54], milk [55][56][57], cheese [58], wine [51], egg [59], dried seafood [60] and sliced fruits and vegetables [61][62][63][64]. UV-C irradiation technology has also been used for the inactivation of several viruses in human plasma products [65][66][67][68][69][70][71].…”

Unfolding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein through infrared and ultraviolet-C radiation based disinfection

“…The efficacy of UV-C based sterilization is affected by surface properties namely surface roughness. This method is more efficient on the smooth surfaces of kits, fruits and vegetables [22] . On the other hand, heating can kill or inactivate the pathogens even in an aqueous solution.…”