Every now and then, a technology comes along that disrupts an entire industry. For the mushroom business, that technology may well be Pulsed Light.
What makes Pulsed Light so disruptive? For one, it can improve the safety of the production process, because it’s proven to destroy virtually all pathogens. It can even improve the nutritional value of the mushrooms themselves, as we’ll see below. What’s more, Pulsed Light has the potential to impact every segment of the mushroom industry. Not just growers and processors, but the entire value chain, including packagers, distributors, and retailers.
It’s a unique technology with far-reaching effects. Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways Pulsed Light is benefiting mushroom businesses.
Infusing mushrooms with Vitamin D
Mushrooms are one of the few natural sources of Vitamin D, a crucial nutrient for humans. Research shows that Pulsed Light spurs Vitamin D production in mushrooms without any additives. It’s a natural process, caused by the sun-like qualities of Pulsed Light, and it increases Vitamin D content by ten times or more.
This works at any stage of the process, too, even with mushrooms that have been frozen. That means you can used Pulsed Light to increase nutritional value whether you’re a grower, processor, packager, or even a large retailer.
Some leading mushroom brands have already taken the step of adding Pulsed Light to their product, giving them a competitive advantage in our health-conscious world of today.
Disinfecting food conveyors
Conveyors are widely used in food processing plants, and the mushroom industry is no exception. Food companies generally rely on chemical cleaning to keep conveyors and other equipment sanitized. Adding Pulsed Light to the mix helps ensure complete sanitization and can even reduce the frequency of chemical cleaning.
Incredibly, it’s possible to received two key benefits from the installation of Pulsed Light system on a mushroom conveyor because the bandwidth required to disinfect conveyors is within the same range that is required to produce Vitamin D. According to XENON optical engineer, Steven Wilk, “The optimum disinfection wavelength is about 260 nm plus or minus 20 nm, while the optimum Vitamin D creation occurs over about 260 to 300 nm.”
XENON’s CIXL system is perfect for this application because of its low cost and easy integration into production environments. Custom systems are also available.
Safer packaging
A safer mushroom product means safer packaging, and Pulsed Light can help here, too. This is a proven application in the pharmaceuticals industry, where safe product is obviously critical. It’s also being successfully applied to food packaging by companies concerned with safety.
Don’t take our word for it. According to an EPA research paper, Pulsed Light treatment was found to have a positive effect on decontamination of packaging: “These results demonstrate the potential of Pulsed Light as an effective method for decontaminating food packaging materials.”
Decontaminating growing environments
The mushroom growing environment is the perfect breeding ground for pathogens. That’s why growers spend so much effort on careful hygiene practices yet pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes are still sometimes found in mushroom crops.
Pulsed Light adds a critical extra layer of protection. Indoor growers can install Pulsed Light units that activate only when the room is not occupied. Newer facilities using aluminum beds with higher levels of automation are especially well suited for installing Pulsed Light systems.
Of course, effectiveness depends on surface exposure and other factors. XENON and its partners have plenty of experience in setting up systems for optimal results.
Clearing the air with HVAC
There’s one more area in which Pulsed Light can make a big difference, and that’s in the air itself. Harmful pathogens can recirculate through air ducts, threatening the food product and possibly people.
Low-energy UV light is sometimes used in HVAC systems, but it’s not nearly as effective as Pulsed Light. Research is underway to develop Pulsed Light-based systems for this application, and one mushroom company recently purchased XENON systems for exactly this purpose.
Getting started
Health and safety of food products have never been more important, and Pulsed Light can improve both from farm to market. We haven’t even mentioned all the benefits, such as improving shelf-life of mushrooms and other foods by up to 50%.
For vertically integrated companies, Pulsed Light can help deliver healthier, safer mushroom products every step of the way. Businesses handling just some of the steps can partner with others in the value chain who also use Pulsed Light to create end-to-end protection.
To get started, contact XENON to speak with our specialists. We’ll help you develop a Pulsed Light strategy that brings a new level of health and safety to your mushroom products.
What makes Pulsed Light so disruptive? For one, it can improve the safety of the production process, because it’s proven to destroy virtually all pathogens. It can even improve the nutritional value of the mushrooms themselves, as we’ll see below. What’s more, Pulsed Light has the potential to impact every segment of the mushroom industry. Not just growers and processors, but the entire value chain, including packagers, distributors, and retailers.
It’s a unique technology with far-reaching effects. Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways Pulsed Light is benefiting mushroom businesses.
Infusing mushrooms with Vitamin D
Mushrooms are one of the few natural sources of Vitamin D, a crucial nutrient for humans. Research shows that Pulsed Light spurs Vitamin D production in mushrooms without any additives. It’s a natural process, caused by the sun-like qualities of Pulsed Light, and it increases Vitamin D content by ten times or more.
This works at any stage of the process, too, even with mushrooms that have been frozen. That means you can used Pulsed Light to increase nutritional value whether you’re a grower, processor, packager, or even a large retailer.
Some leading mushroom brands have already taken the step of adding Pulsed Light to their product, giving them a competitive advantage in our health-conscious world of today.
Disinfecting food conveyors
Conveyors are widely used in food processing plants, and the mushroom industry is no exception. Food companies generally rely on chemical cleaning to keep conveyors and other equipment sanitized. Adding Pulsed Light to the mix helps ensure complete sanitization and can even reduce the frequency of chemical cleaning.
Incredibly, it’s possible to received two key benefits from the installation of Pulsed Light system on a mushroom conveyor because the bandwidth required to disinfect conveyors is within the same range that is required to produce Vitamin D. According to XENON optical engineer, Steven Wilk, “The optimum disinfection wavelength is about 260 nm plus or minus 20 nm, while the optimum Vitamin D creation occurs over about 260 to 300 nm.”
XENON’s CIXL system is perfect for this application because of its low cost and easy integration into production environments. Custom systems are also available.
Safer packaging
A safer mushroom product means safer packaging, and Pulsed Light can help here, too. This is a proven application in the pharmaceuticals industry, where safe product is obviously critical. It’s also being successfully applied to food packaging by companies concerned with safety.
Don’t take our word for it. According to an EPA research paper, Pulsed Light treatment was found to have a positive effect on decontamination of packaging: “These results demonstrate the potential of Pulsed Light as an effective method for decontaminating food packaging materials.”
Decontaminating growing environments
The mushroom growing environment is the perfect breeding ground for pathogens. That’s why growers spend so much effort on careful hygiene practices yet pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes are still sometimes found in mushroom crops.
Pulsed Light adds a critical extra layer of protection. Indoor growers can install Pulsed Light units that activate only when the room is not occupied. Newer facilities using aluminum beds with higher levels of automation are especially well suited for installing Pulsed Light systems.
Of course, effectiveness depends on surface exposure and other factors. XENON and its partners have plenty of experience in setting up systems for optimal results.
Clearing the air with HVAC
There’s one more area in which Pulsed Light can make a big difference, and that’s in the air itself. Harmful pathogens can recirculate through air ducts, threatening the food product and possibly people.
Low-energy UV light is sometimes used in HVAC systems, but it’s not nearly as effective as Pulsed Light. Research is underway to develop Pulsed Light-based systems for this application, and one mushroom company recently purchased XENON systems for exactly this purpose.
Getting started
Health and safety of food products have never been more important, and Pulsed Light can improve both from farm to market. We haven’t even mentioned all the benefits, such as improving shelf-life of mushrooms and other foods by up to 50%.
For vertically integrated companies, Pulsed Light can help deliver healthier, safer mushroom products every step of the way. Businesses handling just some of the steps can partner with others in the value chain who also use Pulsed Light to create end-to-end protection.
To get started, contact XENON to speak with our specialists. We’ll help you develop a Pulsed Light strategy that brings a new level of health and safety to your mushroom products.