ABSTRACT
High-intensity pulsed light (PL) has demonstrated potential for use in food safety and food hygiene control applications. PL technology holds considerable promise in food processing to be used for pasteurization of juices and beverages, as a post lethality treatment in controlling microbial contamination on meats and shell eggs surfaces, and as a means for the shelf-life extension of fresh produce. PL is effective for sterilization of surfaces and highly transparent liquids, such as water, and has been successfully used to inactivate bacteria, mould, spores, and viruses in various food materials. PL system consists of several common components. Equipment used to produce PL is made up of a power unit, one or more adjustable xenon lamp units, and a high-voltage connection that allows the transfer of a high-current electrical pulse. As a substantial portion of the PL spectrum covers ultraviolet (UV) light, the antimicrobial effects of PL are well known to be primarily mediated by its UV light component.
