Development of continuous pulsed light system for decontamination and shelf-life-extension of liquid food

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In collaboration with Solaris Disinfection Inc., the proposed academic-industrial collaborative research project seeks funds to design, develop, characterize and scale-up a continuous pulsed light (PL) liquid food processing system. The proposed system will be modular so that it could be easily adapted to various processing needs and desires. The effect of various process and product variables on PL decontamination will be optimized for different category of liquid food products. Milk and fruit juices will be processed through the PL equipment, and extension of shelf-life and inactivation of microbes will be monitored. Further, the effect of PL on the nutritional components and specific allergens in liquid food will be compared with conventional thermal processing. Based on the experiences from these research, scale up of the lab-scale to pilot-scale will be conducted to enable cold-pasteurization of liquid food at a minimum of 20 L/hr.This project will explore new avenues of liquid food pasteurization, and will lead to generation of much needed scientific data on the effect of PL light technology on microbial and quality attributes of milk and fruit juices. These data are critical for regulatory approval of the PL technology, paving way for its adoption by the Canadian Dairy and Beverage Food Industries. This will improve the economy, processability, quality and food safety of Canadian food products, giving them the competitive edge to succeed in the global market place.