ABSTRACT
Pulsed light (PL) technology is a novel non-thermal processing, where decontamination of foods is achieved by the application of high-intensity light pulses (IPL) within a short duration of time. Urbanization has changed the lifestyles of people and their priorities towards the consumption of processed foods, and the trend is on the rise. PL processing has been attempted for various vegetables, fruits, spices, and other products of plant origin for the decontamination of foodborne pathogens. A lower product temperature ensures better retention of nutrients, since bioactive components present in food may be degraded during the sample heating process. PL technology is a promising non-thermal technique for the decontamination of foods. The efficacy of microbial inactivation depends on several parameters, such as light pulse/energy dose, thickness/morphology of food, type of microorganism, and properties of food. The changes in headspace gas of the food products were influenced by the fluence applied, storage period, and spectral distribution of IPL treatment.
