ShareBehold the 9-day fresh strawberry: new approach to slowing rot doubles berry shelf life
A study has demonstrated that low irradiance ultra-violet (UV) light directed at strawberries over long exposure periods at low temperature and very high humidity (typical home refrigerator conditions) delays spoilage.
A research team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Components and Health Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., and Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SETi) in Columbia, S.C., has demonstrated that low irradiance ultra-violet (UV) light directed at strawberries over long exposure periods at low temperature and very high humidity (typical home refrigerator conditions) delays spoilage.
The team used a novel device incorporating light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit UV at wavelengths found in sunlight transmitted through Earth’s atmosphere.
LEDs are now commonplace thanks to their long life and energy efficiency, as well as their ability to span the wavelength range from near UV to infrared.
"UV-LEDs presented the opportunity to try low power devices that work well in the cold and can be engineered to work in small spaces such as refrigerator compartments," says lead USDA researcher Steven Britz, who has presented his work at CLEO: 2013.
Based on these encouraging results, the team is working to commercialize the technology for home refrigerators.
http://www.cleoconference.org/home/news-and-press/cleo-press-releases/cleo-2013-features-new-research-in-uv-light-for-fo/#UVstrawberries
The team used a novel device incorporating light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit UV at wavelengths found in sunlight transmitted through Earth’s atmosphere.
LEDs are now commonplace thanks to their long life and energy efficiency, as well as their ability to span the wavelength range from near UV to infrared.
"UV-LEDs presented the opportunity to try low power devices that work well in the cold and can be engineered to work in small spaces such as refrigerator compartments," says lead USDA researcher Steven Britz, who has presented his work at CLEO: 2013.
Based on these encouraging results, the team is working to commercialize the technology for home refrigerators.
http://www.cleoconference.org/home/news-and-press/cleo-press-releases/cleo-2013-features-new-research-in-uv-light-for-fo/#UVstrawberries