# UV Light Application as a Mean for Disinfection Applied in the Dairy Industry
## 7 Future Technology: UV-LEDs  
UV-LED lamps (UV-LEDs) are much smaller than traditional lamps, allowing them to be readily integrated into a variety of device designs [77]. UV-LEDs are being looked at as a possible competition and replacement for UV lamps. They have long been known to outperform traditional lamps, such as low pressure (LP) and medium mercury (MP) lamps, in terms of environmental friendliness and mercury-free operation [78]. UV-LEDs also emit high-intensity light immediately after being turned on; there is no warm-up time [77]. Some experiments comparing the effectiveness of UV-LED emission at various wavelengths with traditional lamps have been performed in terms of germicidal effectiveness [78].  
[PERSON] et al. [79] used two UVC-LEDs emitting at 265 and 280 nm with an LP lamp (254 nm) to equate disinfection capacity and repair repression of _E. coli_. In comparison to 280 nm UVC-LED and LP lamps, the findings revealed that 265 nm UVC-LED showed the highest inactivation efficacy against _E. coli_[80].  
[PERSON] et al. [81] also found that UVC-LEDs had the same degree of inactivation or higher than LP lamps (253.7 nm) for _E. coli_, _Listeria_, and _Salmonella_ at an equal dosage of 7 m/cm\({}^{2}\) for 259, 268, and 275 nm wavelength. The UVC-LED wavelength of 268 nm was  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Advantages** & **Disadvantages and Limitations** \\ \hline Low costs of repair, installation, and service & Poor productivity in foods with a high suspended solids content \\ \hline Maintains the physicochemical features and nutritious value of the food without causing unpleasant sensory changes & Limited transmission of UV through opaque liquids \\ \hline There are no negative consequences for the environment (no chemical residue, toxins, wastes) & Humans may be harmed by prolonged contact (eyes, burns, and skin cancer) \\ \hline There is no heat generation (economical aspects) & Low penetration capacity into solid foods (limited use solely for the surface decontamination) \\ \hline Possibility of combining with other non-thermal manufacturing methods & The rate of UV disinfection on food surfaces is difficult to estimate. \\ \hline Possibility to operate in a continuous manner & The tendency of spores to get repaired after UV treatment \\ \hline Low energy consumption & \\ \hline Suitable for commercial processing & \\ \hline Inactivation of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 4: UV radiation handling of dairy products: Advantages, disadvantages, and limitations [3,4].  
found to be the most powerful in the sample. As a result, it was reported that the closer the LED wavelength to 280 nm, the better the UV-LED results [80].  
Furthermore, another study revealed that UV-LEDs do not contain mercury and produce steady irradiation yield irrespective of temperature, which makes them useful even at refrigerated conditions [82].  
UVC generated by LEDs is a new technology that may be used to compensate for the limitations of mercury lamps. One of UV-LED technology's main advantages is that it can be programmed to produce a certain wavelength. Whereas, UV lamps can only create a peak wavelength of 254 nm, as their inactivation ability has only been tested at that wavelength [77].