Non-thermal Food Processing Technologies for Reducing Microbial Loads

Sodiq Femi Akanni; Moruf Olanrewaju Oke; Sogo James Olatunde

doi:10.56741/esl.v3i03.643

Authors

Sodiq Femi Akanni Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Moruf Olanrewaju Oke Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Sogo James Olatunde Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Keywords:

Non-thermal food processing, microbial control, high-pressure processing, ohmic heating, plasma treatment, pulsed electric fields, ultraviolet irradiation

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive review of non-thermal food processing technologies and their effectiveness in preventing microbial contamination and improving food quality. Non-thermal treatments, including high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, plasma treatment, and ohmic heating, offer innovative alternatives to traditional thermal methods for microbial control. These technologies leverage mechanisms such as pressure, electrical energy, light, or reactive species to achieve microbial inactivation while preserving sensory attributes and nutritional integrity. Despite their considerable potential, non-thermal treatments face challenges and limitations related to technological complexity, regulatory considerations, cost implications, and efficacy against specific microorganisms or food matrices. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration between industry stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and research institutions to drive innovation, establish regulatory frameworks, and optimize implementation strategies. By overcoming current limitations and harnessing the full potential of non-thermal treatments, the food industry can enhance food safety, quality, and sustainability while meeting consumer demands for safe and minimally processed foods.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Sodiq Femi Akanni, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

is a dedicated professional in the field of Food Engineering, currently affiliated with the Department of Food Engineering at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria. His academic and research interests focus on advancing food engineering techniques and technologies, contributing to both local and global food sustainability efforts. He is committed to addressing the challenges of food production and safety through innovative engineering solutions. (email: akanni-sf@ulster.ac.uk).

Moruf Olanrewaju Oke, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

is a distinguished member of the Department of Food Engineering at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria. His work centers on developing innovative food engineering practices to enhance food production and safety. With a strong focus on research and education, he is dedicated to finding solutions to food-related challenges in both local and international contexts. (email: mooke47@lautech.edu.ng).

Sogo James Olatunde, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

is a dedicated academic and researcher in the Department of Food Engineering at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria. His expertise lies in advancing the field of food engineering, with a focus on developing innovative solutions to enhance food processing, safety, and sustainability. He is actively engaged in research and educational initiatives aimed at addressing food security challenges. (email: sjolatunde@lautech.edu.ng).

References

Oladiji, A. T., Oladele, J. O., & Ajayi, E. I. (Eds.). (2024). Nutrition and Diet in Health: Principles and Applications. CRC Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003361497

Almeida, F. D. L., Cavalcante, R. S., Cullen, P. J., Frias, J. M., Bourke, P., Fernandes, F. A., & Rodrigues, S. (2015). Effects of atmospheric cold plasma and ozone on prebiotic orange juice. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 32, 127-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2015.09.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2015.09.001

Amaral, G. V., Silva, E. K., Cavalcanti, R. N., Cappato, L. P., Guimaraes, J. T., Alvarenga, V. O., ... & Cruz, A. G. (2017). Dairy processing using supercritical carbon dioxide technology: Theoretical fundamentals, quality and safety aspects. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 64, 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2017.04.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2017.04.004

Asaithambi, N., Singh, S. K., & Singha, P. (2021). Current status of non-thermal processing of probiotic foods: A review. Journal of Food Engineering, 303, 110567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2021.110567 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2021.110567

Ates, M. B., Skipnes, D., Rode, T. M., & Lekang, O. I. (2014). Comparison of bacterial inactivation with novel agitating retort and static retort after mild heat treatments. Food Control, 43, 150-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.03.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.03.006

Wang, C.-Y., Huang, H.-W., Hsu, C.-P., & Yang, B. B. (2016). Recent Advances in Food Processing Using High Hydrostatic Pressure Technology. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 56(4), 527–540. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.745479 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.745479

Xi, J., Li, Z.-M., & Yang, F. (2020). Recent advances in the continuous extraction of bioactive ingredients from food-processing wastes by pulsed electric fields. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 61(10), 1738–1750. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1765308 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1765308

Zhang, H. Q., Barbosa-Cánovas, G. V., Bala, M., C. Patrick Dunne, Farkas, D. F., & James. (2011). Nonthermal Processing Technologies for Food. John Wiley & Sons.

Zhao, Y.-M., de Alba, M., Sun, D.-W., & Tiwari, B. (2018). Principles and recent applications of novel non-thermal processing technologies for the fish industry—a review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 59(5), 728–742. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1495613 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1495613

Zinoviadou, K. G., Galanakis, C. M., Brnčić, M., Grimi, N., Boussetta, N., Mota, M. J., Saraiva, J. A., Patras, A., Tiwari, B., & Barba, F. J. (2015). Fruit juice sonication: Implications on food safety and physicochemical and nutritional properties. Food Research International, 77, 743–752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2015.05.032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2015.05.032

Aghajanzadeh, S., & Ziaiifar, A. M. (2021). Pasteurization of juices with non-thermal technologies. Sustainable Food Processing and Engineering Challenges, 25-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-822714-5.00002-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822714-5.00002-4

Alexandre, E. M., Brandão, T. R., & Silva, C. L. (2012). Efficacy of non-thermal technologies and sanitizer solutions on microbial load reduction and quality retention of strawberries. Journal of Food Engineering, 108(3), 417-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.09.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.09.002

Barbosa-Canovas, G. V., Tapia, M. S., &Cano, M. P. (2004). Novel food processing technologies. CRC Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203997277

Bhalerao, P., Dhar, R., & Chakraborty, S. (2021). Pulsed light technology applied in food processing. Food Processing, 91-121. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163213-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163213-5

Chakraborty, S., & Dhar, R. (2022). Non-thermal processes in food preservation. Fundamentals of Non-Thermal Processes for Food Preservation, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003199809-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003199809-1

Corradini, M., & Peleg, M. (2010). Comparing the effectiveness of thermal and non-thermal food preservation processes: The concept of equivalent efficacy. Case Studies in Novel Food Processing Technologies, 464-488. https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857090713.4.464 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857090713.4.464

Dangal, A., Timsina, P., Dahal, S., Rai, K., &Giuffrè, A. M. (2023). Advances in non-thermal food processing methods -principle Advantages and limitations- for the establishment of minimal food quality as well as safety issues. A review. Current Nutrition & Food Science, 19. https://doi.org/10.2174/0115734013250808230921105514 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/0115734013250808230921105514

Luo, Z., Tang, Z., Guo, X., Jiang, J., & Sun, O. (2019). Non-monotonic and distinct temperature responses of soil microbial functional groups of different origins and in different soils. Authorea Preprints. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.157618059.96401146 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.157618059.96401146

Prasad, P., Kar, S., & Sahu, J. K. (2021). Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma in food processing. In Food Processing (pp. 223-251). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163213-10 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163213-10

Pathania, S., & Tiwari, B. K. (2021). Food formulation: Novel ingredients and processing techniques. John Wiley & Sons. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119614760

Richardson, P. (2001). Thermal technologies in food processing. Elsevier. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1533/9781855736610

Rouphael, Y., Lucini, L., Miras-Moreno, B., Colla, G., Bonini, P., & Cardarelli, M. (2020). Metabolomic responses of maize shoots and roots elicited by combinatorial seed treatments with microbial and non-microbial biostimulants. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00664 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00664

Dash, K. K., & Chakraborty, S. (Eds.). (2021). Food Processing: Advances in Thermal and Non-Thermal Technologies, Two Volume Set. CRC Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163251

Therdthai, N., & Jafari, S. M. (2023). Introduction to non-thermal food processes. In Non-thermal Food Processing Operations (pp. 1-14). Woodhead Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818717-3.00012-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818717-3.00012-3

Zhang, H. Q., Barbosa-Cánovas, G. V., Balasubramaniam, V. B., Dunne, C. P., Farkas, D. F., & Yuan, J. T. (Eds.). (2011). Nonthermal processing technologies for food. John Wiley & Sons. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470958360

Zulkurnain, M., Sulaiman, A., & Balasubramaniam, V. M. (2021). High-Pressure-Based Food-Processing Technologies for Food Safety and Quality. In Food Processing (pp. 1-26). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163213-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003163213-1

Arya, S. S., Nachiappan, N., Waghmare, R., & Bhat, M. S. (2023). Recent progress and future perspectives on non-thermal Apple juice processing techniques. Food Production, Processing, and Nutrition, 5(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-023-00149-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-023-00149-w

Kalse, S. B., & Khobragade, C. B. (2021). Blanching Treatments in Food Processing. In Food Processing (pp. 77-90). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429321481-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429321481-4

Tiza, T. M., Kpur, G., Ogunleye, E., Sharma, S., Singh, S. K., & Likassa, D. M. (2023). The potency of functionalized nanomaterials for industrial applications. Materials Today: Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.03.212 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.03.212

Fu, X., Belwal, T., Cravotto, G., & Luo, Z. (2020). Sono-physical and sono-chemical effects of ultrasound: Primary applications in extraction and freezing operations and influence on food components. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 60, 104726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2019.104726 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2019.104726