Ultraviolet processing of liquid food: A review. Part 1: Fundamental engineering aspects

Ultraviolet irradiation constitutes an alternative to thermal treatment that is being studied and developed to obtain a better final product sensory quality, but without neglecting microbial safety. Critical decisions about the development of ultraviolet irradiation equipment include radiation sources, reactor geometry, reaction medium properties and the relationship between all these parts that will lead to the achievement of the desired effect on food systems and their components. In this piece of work, engineering aspects of ultraviolet irradiation such as radiation sources, different kinds of photochemical reactors and mathematical modeling of the different geometries have been reviewed.