Foodborne pathogens are a major headache for everyone involved. They cause spoilage, illness and even death. The average cost of a single food recall is estimated at $10 million1 but can be much higher for larger enterprises. Even a nuisance lawsuit associated with foodborne illness can reach six figures. 

In addition, nearly 40% (119 billion pounds) of food is thrown out in the United States equating to $408 billion wasted.2 Harsh chemicals leave dangerous residue, high heat is energy intensive and can negatively impact the quality of food. Solving these difficult and expensive problems is generally at or near the top of everyone’s food safety “to-do” list. That is why many turn to germicidal ultraviolet light (UVC). 

The application of UVC in the food industry is nothing new and still holds great promise for real-world, hygienic processing conditions of food. Not only can it help prevent foodborne pathogens that lead to illness, but it can also increase the shelf life3-9 of many food products without compromising quality. With issues related to food safety and security being top priorities in food production and storage sectors,10 incorporating an array of new technologies (as well as the reimagining of old technologies) is more relevant than ever in the competitive landscape of the food industry.

UVC light (between 200-280 nm wavelengths) has excellent germicidal properties that apply to a wide range of pathogens (bacteria,11-17 virus,18-21 yeasts,22,23 molds,24-27 fungi,28,29 etc.). Foodborne illnesses caused by these microbes sicken around 600 million people and kill around 420,000 people a year.30 (With fresh produce responsible for the highest number of outbreaks.31) It is causally linked to more than 200 diseases such as listeriosis, enteric fever, cholera and even cancers.32-37

Traditionally, UVC has been leveraged to disinfect water, air and, in more recent years, a wide range of surfaces. UVC’s ability to disinfect without high heat, without inducing microbial resistance38 and without leaving behind chemical residues (and for LED UVC, without emitting ozone) make it a powerful, chemical-free39 tool for hygienic processing operations. 

Additionally, the use of UVC alone, or in combination with organic acids (e.g. citric or acetic) or sanitizer solutions (e.g. calcium hypochlorite), has gained momentum as a sound method for managing microbial safety and enhancing the quality of fresh produce.40 As research into the impact of UVC on the food itself has demonstrated minimal negative impact—and in many instances favorable impact, use of the technology has expanded into direct application uses.

Advances in UVC Technology

This past decade has seen incredible advances in UVC LED technology.41 To clarify, we are not talking about consumer level UVC LED wands and boxes that saturated the market following the arrival of COVID. The majority of these products do not reliably produce true UVC wavelengths and lack the necessary power and durability for commercial applications. 

Early in their development, UVC LEDs offered only low power output via high power input, short useful life, and were extravagantly expensive (think several hundred dollars per individual diode). Companies like Crystal IS, Stanley Electric and Violumas have been leading the charge in rapidly developing industrial level UVC LEDs with higher output, lower input, increased longevity and dramatically lower cost. They have been able to close the gap between efficiency and cost and continue to improve. 

With such rapid advances, we have entered a breakthrough era in UVC LED technology and what it can do. UVC LEDs allow for improved UVC safety, greater efficiency, greater control and endless creativity in form factors and application. 

UVC LEDs vs Lamps

LEDs more effectively utilize their power with directional light. Traditional lamps emit energy (light) in 360 degrees. This means they are often designed (especially handheld options) with parts that reflect the light, which reduces the intensity and the rate at which it can disinfect. 

LEDs provide a specific, consistent light output, such as at the peak germicidal absorption of 265 nm wavelength.42 In contrast, conventional lamps emit multiple wavelengths of UVC dictated by the reaction between electricity and the chemical inside the device (often mercury). For example, the optimum wavelength for inactivating E. coli—about 265 nm—is about 15% more effective than 254 nm, which is the peak wavelength emitted by mercury lamps.43

UVC LEDs, similar to household LED bulbs, offer a longer, more consistent lifespan.44 They can be cycled on/off tens of thousands of times without degrading their performance. Plus, they emit true UVC as soon as they turn on (no warm-up time).45 This makes them ideal for on-demand applications and short exposure time applications. Conventional UVC lamps cite lifespans of 8,000 to 10,000 hours. However, on/off cycling significantly impacts this lifespan.46 Additionally, salts and oils from contact with skin also reduces the life of a bulb and increases its risk of shattering. 

One of the most exciting and important aspects of UVC LEDs is the potential for endless form factors and customizations.47 This opens the door for UVC to be applied in conditions and spaces not safe, practical or feasible for lamps. LED packaging can be configured to allow UVC to be delivered directly to surfaces, products, tools, and equipment, allowing site-specific management of hygiene and microbial risk. It is now possible to integrate UVC into automated processing lines without safeguards for bulb breakage or special consideration for exposure to cleaning cycles.

Lighting the Way in Food Safety

Since UVC light is only effective for pathogens directly in its path, a downfall of the technology (conventional or LED) in automated processing applications is “shadowing.”48 This is easily overcome by the packaging flexibility of LEDs, which allows UVC to be incorporated at many steps in the food processing process, from receiving49 to washing50,51 to sorting, or from packaging52,53 to storage54-56 to transport.57 It can be applied directly to most food products,58-68 most surfaces,69-71 can be used in wet systems or those that require hosing down. 

Manual application of industrial-strength UVC is now also possible with the incorporation of LED technology into lightweight, impact and water-resistant handheld devices, allowing UVC to become part of the arsenal of tools available to cleaning and maintenance teams.

Seek application specialists and explore possibilities. The future is knocking on the door, and the growing mountain of research indicates that UVC LEDs can and will enhance food safety.

References 

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