Future trends in electron beam technology for food processing

doi:10.1533/9781782421085.3.295

Electron Beam Pasteurization and Complementary Food Processing Technologies

Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition

2015, Pages 295-309

Electron Beam Pasteurization and Complementary Food Processing Technologies

https://doi.org/10.1533/9781782421085.3.295 Get rights and content

Abstract

The food industry has to continually respond to society’s demands of environmental stewardship in the form of sustainability, biodegradable packaging material, reduced reliance on chemicals, “green” manufacturing, and reducing or managing food wastes. Electron beam (eBeam) technology can play a pivotal role in many of these contemporary challenges that the food industry faces. This concluding chapter provides an overview of how eBeam technology can address many of the challenges that the food industry will face in the coming years, as well as provide a snapshot of how eBeam technology can be combined with complementary technologies to improve the nutritional quality, microbiological safety, environmental sustainability, and aesthetic appearance of food.

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Cited by (4)

An electron beam technology of surface disinfection of the packed egg
2021, Food and Bioproducts Processing
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In addition, eggs are used to produce broiler chickens, which after growing on poultry farms become the most widespread source of cheap and useful meat. Therefore, the shell cleanliness, i.e. the absence of dirt and microorganisms, is important not only for the commercial sales of eggs, but also to prevent the penetration of microorganisms through the pores in the egg shell (Rothrock et al., 2018), which can lead to egg damage and Salmonella infection (Shayanfar and Pillai, 2015). Washing improves the appearance of the eggs, but is not beneficial for their storage because it leads to the opening of pores in the shell.
Food poisoning related to sanitary problems is among the most widespread illnesses in the world. An alternative way to reduce the microbiological contamination of foods is to use radiation sterilization. The basic details of the technology of surface disinfection of the packed egg (SDPE) for storage are presented. Irradiation experiments were carried out by the means of the URT-0.5 accelerator. It has been established that electron beam irradiation with a dose ≥5 kGy is sufficient for full disinfection of the egg surface and the bremsstrahlung dose inside it will not exceed 80 mGy. This dose level should not lead to biological changes in the white or yolk. Economic analysis shows that the cost of irradiation of plastic packaging (10 eggs) will not exceed 1.2 eurocents.
Sources and contamination routes of microbial pathogens to fresh produce during field cultivation: A review
2018, Food Microbiology
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However, limited commercial applications have been described for most of these new technologies. Electron beam technology is another up-and-coming treatment option, which according to experts, can play a pivotal role in mitigating some of the contemporary microbiological risks facing the produce industry (Shayanfar and Pillai, 2014; Lung et al., 2015). It is an environment friendly, cost and time effective decontamination strategy that uses low-dose ionizing radiation to treat crops (-as well as other food items), to eliminate microbial contamination.
Foodborne illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated fresh produce is a common phenomenon and has severe effects on human health together with severe economic and social impacts. The implications of foodborne diseases associated with fresh produce have urged research into the numerous ways and mechanisms through which pathogens may gain access to produce, thereby compromising microbiological safety. This review provides a background on the various sources and pathways through which pathogenic bacteria contaminate fresh produce; the survival and proliferation of pathogens on fresh produce while growing and potential methods to reduce microbial contamination before harvest. Some of the established bacterial contamination sources include contaminated manure, irrigation water, soil, livestock/ wildlife, and numerous factors influence the incidence, fate, transport, survival and proliferation of pathogens in the wide variety of sources where they are found. Once pathogenic bacteria have been introduced into the growing environment, they can colonize and persist on fresh produce using a variety of mechanisms. Overall, microbiological hazards are significant; therefore, ways to reduce sources of contamination and a deeper understanding of pathogen survival and growth on fresh produce in the field are required to reduce risk to human health and the associated economic consequences.
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2022, Ionizing Radiation Technologies: Managing and Extracting Value from Wastes
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16 - Future trends in electron beam technology for food processing

Abstract