Intense light pulses: microbial inactivation in fruits and vegetables

Intense light pulses (ILP) represent an emerging processing technology that involves the application of intense flashes of short duration and broad spectrum for surface decontamination of foods. Three mechanisms are proposed to explain the mode of antimicrobial action, involving photochemical, photothermal and photophysical effects. The application of this technology should not exceed fluences of 12 J/cm(2) with an spectral emission range of 180-1100 nm and a maximum pulse duration of 2 ms. This review introduces the principles, factors and mechanisms of action that affect the antimicrobial activity and potential application of ILP in fruits and vegetables. The effectiveness and impact of ILP on microbial inactivation of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, the physicochemical changes that occur in these substrates once treated as well as some recent research works in other food systems are also discussed.