Surface Applications of Ultraviolet Light in Food Industry

In food industry, surface decontamination of foods that cannot be heat treated or contaminated after heat treatment is of great importance. Ultraviolet (UV) light is a promising technology for microbial decontamination and can be used as an alternative to heat treatments for surfaces. In recent years, UV light application has become widespread because of its low maintenance cost, easy to use and positive consumer image. It can be used for surface decontamination of foods, equipments in contact with foods and packaging materials. For this purpose, batch or continuous UV disinfection units can be designed for specific uses. Factors influencing surface disinfection and microbial inactivation and, quality changes with the use of UV light systems need to be considered. In this study, potential applications of UV light on food surfaces, equipments in contact with foods and packaging materials besides inactivation mechanisms and light sources are reviewed. Advantages of this technology, factors influencing the efficacy of UV light and legal aspects are also presented