A new study show that blue LED light could be used to kill common food-borne pathogens without the need for chemical treatment. The team’s findings can potentially be applied to preserve fresh-cut fruits, or ready-to-eat seafood such as sushi, as well as chilled meat products.
As published in Asian Scientist , a team of scientists from the National University of Singapore has found that blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) have strong antibacterial effect on major foodborne pathogens, particularly in cold temperatures (between 4°C and 15°C) and mildly acidic conditions of around pH 4.5. Their findings, published in Food Microbiology, open up novel possibilities of using blue LEDs as a chemical-free food preservation method. Acidic foods such as fresh-cut fruits and ready-to-eat meat can be preserved under blue LEDs in combination with chilling temperatures without requiring further chemical treatments that are commonly needed for food preservation. Read more