ABSTRACT
Dairy products that are contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms through unhygienic farm practices, improper transportation, and inadequate quality control can cause foodborne illness. Furthermore, inadequate storage conditions can increase the microflora of natural spoilage, leading to rapid deterioration. Ultrasound processing is a popular technology used to improve the quality of milk products using high-frequency sound waves. It can improve food safety and shelf life by modifying milk protein and fats without negatively affecting nutritional profile and sensory properties, such as taste, texture, and flavor. Ultrasound processing is effective in eliminating pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. However, the efficiency of processing is determined by the type of microorganism, pH, and temperature of the milk product, the frequency and intensity of the applied waves, as well as the sonication time. Ultrasound processing has been established to be a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional heat-based processing technologies that lead to the degradation of milk quality. There are some disadvantages to using ultrasound processing, such as the initial high cost of setting it up, the production of free radicals, the deterioration of sensory properties, and the development of off-flavors with lengthened processing times. The aim of this review is to summarize current research in the field of ultrasound processing and discuss future directions.
ABSTRACT
A novel continuous thin-film (1.59 mm) serpentine path coiled tube (SPCT) UV system operating at 254 nm wavelength was designed and compared with flow field distribution of whole milk with helical path coiled tube (HPCT) UV system using computational fluid dynamics. The results revealed efficient velocity magnitude distribution at serpentine bend geometric locations of the SPCT UV system. Further in this study, we evaluatedBacillus cereusSpores inactivation in whole milk (WM) and almond milk (AM) using the developed SPCT UV system. Experimental data showed that > 4 log reduction of spores was achieved after six and ten passes of WM and AM at a flow rate of 70 and 162 mL/min, respectively. The bio-dosimetry method was used to verify the delivered reduction equivalent fluence (REF) and reported as 33 ± 0.73 and 36.5 ± 1.9 mJ/cm2. We noticed no significant effect on lipid oxidation and volatiles profile (p > 0.05) up to delivered REF of 60 mJ/cm2. This study demonstrated that high levels of inactivation ofB. cereusspores could be feasible with minimal impact on product quality by UV-C processing of dairy and non-dairy opaque scattering fluids.
Subject(s)
Prunus dulcis , Animals , Lipid Peroxidation , Milk , Spores , Spores, BacterialABSTRACT
The inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in water and high transmittance liquid foods has been studied extensively. The efficiency of the process is relatively low for treating opaque liquid foods using traditional UV systems. This study evaluated the ability of UV-C light to inactivate foodborne pathogens in a simulated opaque fluid (6.5 to 17 cm-1) at commercial relevant flow rates (31.70, 63.40, 95.10 gph) using a pilot-scale Dean Flow UV system. In this study, a mathematical model for the prediction of delivered fluence was developed by the biodosimetry method. The results revealed that increased Reduction equivalent fluence (REF) rates were observed with increased flow rates due to additional turbulence. The experimental and calculated REF were well correlated with the UV-C absorption coefficient range of 6.5 to 17 cm-1 indicating efficient mixing in the reactor. REF scaled up linearly at experimental conditions as an inverse function of flow rate and absorption coefficient, and a linear mathematical model (R2 > 0.99, p < 0.05) to predict delivered REF was developed. The model was tested and validated against independent experiments using Salmonella Typhimurium and Bacillus cereus endospores. The predicted and experimental REF values were in close agreement (p > 0.05). It is demonstrated that the developed model can predict the REF, thus microbial inactivation of microbial suspensions in simulated fluid with the absorption coefficient of 6.5-17 cm-1 and flow rates of 31.70-95.10 gph. The pilot system will be field-tested against microorganisms in highly absorbing and scattering fluids.
