# Applications of Pulsed Light Decontamination Technology in Food Processing: An Overview
## 2 Overview of PL Technology  
PL technology involves the application of intense light in the form of short pulses on a target of interest (food or food contact surface or illumination through a fluid food matrix) to destroy bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses present therein. The PL is nothing but ordinary white light like sunlight, except having a very high intensity, and applied over a very short period of time. PL has an electromagnetic spectrum similar to that of sunlight, ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near infrared (IR) wavelengths [12]. This range of electromagnetic radiation includes UV rays (\(\lambda\) = 200-400 nm; UV is again classified into UV-C: 200-280 nm, UV-B: 280-315 nm, UV-A: 315-400 nm), visible light (\(\lambda\) = 400-700 nm), and infrared (IR) rays (\(\lambda\) = 700-1100 nm) [4; 13]. However, the spectral output of PL is rich in UV regions, unlike solar spectrum, which is rich in visible regions [14] (p. 236). The generation of light pulses is carried out by the excitation of inert gases, like xenon in flashlamps, and the collision of gaseous molecules due to electrical pulse application. The light energy is then released in the form of \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l} \hline \hline
**Paper Title, Authors and Year of Publication** & & **Key Contents** \\ \hline \hline  & \(\bullet\) & Systems developed for PL processing, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Possible bacterial inactivation mechanisms, \\ Pulsed light technology; [PERSON] et al.; 2000 & \(\bullet\) & Critical factors affecting the PL process efficacy, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Results from industrial sources, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Research needs \\ \hline  & \(\bullet\) & Terminologies related to PL, \\ Pulsed light for food decontamination: a review; & \(\bullet\) & Microbial inactivation mechanisms, \\ [PERSON] et a.; 2007 & \(\bullet\) & Factors affecting the inactivation, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Decontamination of food, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Effects on nutritional and toxicological aspects \\ \hline  & \(\bullet\) & Principles of PL, \\ Pulsed-light system as a novel food decontamination & \(\bullet\) & Microbial inactivation in vitro, \\ technology: a review; [PERSON] et al.; 2007 & \(\bullet\) & Main limitations, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Decontamination of several food products \\ \hline  & \(\bullet\) & Principles of PL, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Microbial inactivation in vitro, \\ Pulsed Light Treatments for Food Preservation. A Review; & \(\bullet\) & Microbial inactivation in several foods, \\ [PERSON] et al.; 2008 & \(\bullet\) & Critical process factors, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Microbial inactivation on packaging materials \\  & \(\bullet\) & and food contact surfaces, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Limitations \\ \hline The Sensory Quality of Meat, Game, Poultry, Seafood and Meat Products as Affected by Intense Light Pulses: A Systematic Review; [PERSON] and [PERSON]; 2015 & \(\bullet\) & Effect of PL on the sensory quality of 16 varieties of meat, meat products, game, poultry, seafood, \\ \hline  & \(\bullet\) & Principles of PL processing, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Efficacy of processing unpackaged and \\ Pulsed Light Treatment of Different Food Types with a Special Focus on Meat: A Critical Review; [PERSON] et al.; 2016 & \(\bullet\) & Decontamination of meat cutting, \\  & \(\bullet\) & packaging surfaces, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Industrial implementation needs \\ \hline  & \(\bullet\) & Principles of PL processing, \\  & \(\bullet\) & PL processing systems, \\ Pulsed light processing of foods for microbial safety; [PERSON] and [PERSON]; 2017 & \(\bullet\) & Mode of action on microorganisms, \\  & \(\bullet\) & PL treatment on several food matrices, \\  & \(\bullet\) & Combination of PL, with other \\  & \(\bullet\) & processing technologies \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Previously published review papers on PL processing. short-duration light bursts in a highly concentrated manner (lasting for a few hundred microseconds, usually 1 \(\upmu\)s to 0.1 s) [13; 15].