Application of UV-A and blue light emitting diodes within the range of 320–480 nm on quality and shelf-life extension of food products

Produced or processed foods are subjects to natural spoilage and contamination, commonly by microorganisms. This occurs along the food supply chain, which results in high levels of food waste and compromised consumer safety. The use of light-emitting diode technologies, a novel non-thermal surface disinfection method, can be used in order to reduce microbial activity and improve shelf-life of the product. This review provides an extensive list of UV-A and blue LED applications on possible microbial inactivation and plant defense mechanisms, affecting quality and shelf-life extension of various food products. In addition, the benefits, engineering aspects of LED reactors for treating liquid foods and associated problems of this technology are summarized. This innovative food surface decontamination technology, with or without exogenous photosensitizers, can be used by food processing industries due to maintaining sensory and nutritional properties while exhibiting antibacterial inactivation. Further research is needed to fully realize their potential and to investigate whether the combined or hurdle technology affects antibacterial efficacy or food quality changes. In addition, an optimized and improved LED illumination system will be developed and applied extensively in the food industry by determining the possible factors needed to increase microbial inactivation rate, maintain quality and safety of food products.