Use Of UV Technology Gaining Acceptance Within Process Industries

The use of Ultra Violet (UV) technology within process industries has grown tremendously in recent years. Water, fruit juice, syrup and brines are increasingly seen as the largest volume ingredient in many food products, and the need to protect human health, whilst reduce the level of chemical preservatives, and to extend shelf life leads to the incorporation of UV systems within the food manufacturing process.

UV light is used mainly as a non-chemical disinfection technology, and is favored because of what it does not do: no taste or odor changes, no chemical residual to be removed, and importantly no micro-organisms have demonstrated any tolerance to UV, unlike chlorine, which a number of pathogens, including Listeria and Cryptosporidium have become tolerant to very high chlorine or chlorine dioxide doses. Recent advances have now led to UV being certified as an equivalent technology to Pasteurization, and so the use of UV light has been extended to dairies and Grade A milk producers.