Effect of ultraviolet light-emitting diode processing on fruit and vegetable-based liquid foods: A review

Abstract

Ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED) technology has emerged as a non-thermal and non-chemical treatment for preserving liquid fruit and vegetable foods. This technology uses ultraviolet light to interact with the food at different wavelengths, solving problems related to product stability, quality, and safety during storage. UV-LED treatment has been shown to affect microbe and enzyme inactivation, and it increases and improves retention of bioactive compounds. Moreover, computational simulations are a powerful and relevant tool that can be used optimize and improve the UV-LED process. Currently, there are a limited studies of this technology in liquid fruit and vegetable-based foods. This review gathers information on these food type and shows that it is a promising technology for the development of new products, is environmentally friendly, and does not require the addition of chemicals nor heat. This is relevant from an industrial perspective because maintaining the nutritional and organoleptic properties ensures better quality. However, due to the scarce information available on this type of food, further studies are needed.

The influence of processing technologies on the biological activity of carbohydrates in food

“…The primary sterilization mechanism of ultraviolet rays is the damage to microbial nucleic acid. When exposed to ultraviolet rays, microorganisms undergo photochemical damage, leading to the formation of photoproducts, which in turn inhibit DNA replication and transcription, ultimately resulting in microbial death ( Salazar et al, 2022 ). UVA-LED treatment could effectively inhibit the browning of fresh-cut apples and pears.…”

UV-C Light: A Promising Preservation Technology for Vegetable-Based Nonsolid Food Products

“…The spoilage of fruit-and vegetable-based products is closely linked to the activity of various endogenous enzymes such as browning enzymes (e.g., polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and ripening or cell wall degrading enzymes (e.g., pectin methyl-esterase) [98]. Controlling the activity of these enzymes is critical because they remain active after processing, negatively affecting the quality, nutritional content, and shelf life [99,100]. In Table 3, data on enzyme inactivation using ultraviolet technology is provided, reporting the data sources.…”