Pulsed light technology: a novel method for food preservation

With the increase in consumer awareness, demand for minimally processed foods and eco-friendliness, various technologies were developed for food processing and preservation. The conventional thermal food preservation and processing techniques appears to have the shortcoming of adversely affecting the food quality, organoleptic properties and nutrients. However, many non-thermal food preservation technologies were developed to serve the purpose. Many of such technologies are active packaging, pulsed electric field processing, high pressure processing, ultraviolet light processing and pulsed light processing. Pulsed light technology appears to be one of the best alternatives to conventional thermal and chemical decontamination process. Pulsed light processing technique has been commercialized and there have been many reports on the wide spectrum application of this technology. The technology not only decontaminates the food or packaging but also maintains its texture, nutrients etc. The germicidal effect was found to be due to photochemical and photothermal effect. It also has many other applications apart from decontamination, one such being reducing the allergen potent of some naturally occurring foods. The following review article is a compilation of reports on the mechanism of action of the technology and recent application of pulsed light processing.