Inactivation of Salmonella Enteritidis on walnuts by pulsedUV treatment

摘要

Pulsed UV light is a novel technology that is employed to eliminate the microorganisms on food sources. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of pulsed UV light on Salmonella Enteritidis on shelled walnuts. Shelled walnuthalves and pieces were inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis and treated in a pulsed UV light system chamber at three different distances from the quartz window (5, 8, and 13 cm) for different times (1 s - 45 s). A maximum log reduction of 3.18 was obtained after pulsed UV treatment at 8 cm for 45 seconds. Further investigations on the energy and temperature changes of the nuts were also evaluated. Measurement of energy levels revealed an increase in energy with longer treatment time and shorter distance from the UV lamp as it was also true for the change in temperature. The results of this study clearly indicate that pulsed UV light technology is a promising method to decontaminate pathogenic microorganisms from walnuts.