A potential method of microbial reduction on both packaging and food surfaces (including red meats and poultry carcasses) is the utilization of intense pulses of light.
Pulsed light is energy released as short high intensity pulses of broad spectrum “white” light that can sterilize packaging materials and decrease microbial populations on food surfaces. Microorganism exposed to pulse light are destroyed.
Reductions of more than 8 logs of vegetative materials and in transmissive fluids and beverages and 1 to 3 logs on complex or rough surfaces, such as meat may be achieved.
Pulsed light flashes are created by compressing electrical beery into short pulses and using these pulses to energies an inert gas lamp.
The lamp emits an intense flash of light with a duration of a few hundred microseconds.
Because this lamp can be flashed many times per second, only a few flashes are required to produce a high level of microbial kill. Thus online procedure for food processing can be very rapid.
Microbial destruction by Pulsed Light
