Study Demonstrates Antimicrobial Efficacy of Pulsed Light Technology
A recent study conducted by Penn State University researchers, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has shown pulsed light technology to be an effective method for inactivating microbial contaminants. The study also found that pulsed light’s ability to inactivate microbes is largely due to ultraviolet (UV) light.
The study’s researchers explain that continuous, low-intensity UV treatment has been used for antimicrobial purposes in the food industry since the 1960s; however, pulsed light differs from continuous light in that it delivers a higher intensity of light, which results in greater microbial reduction in a shorter period of time. The team’s technique is designed to be deployed on a food conveyor and treat passing foods.