montena technology sa
Route de Montena 89
1728 Rossens
Switzerland
Tel. +41 26 411 84 84
Fax +41 26 411 17 79
Pulsed light effects
The effectiveness of the pulsed light has been proven on many types of microorganisms, such as : bacteria, mould, virus, etc.. The result of the light flash is a combination of photothermal and photochemical effects.
Photochemical : the absorption spectrum of the DNA structure is between 190 and 300 nm, corresponding to UV emitted during the flashes. With pulsed light, the DNA chain is disrupted or the molecules can be broken.
Photothermal : due to their small size the microorganisms see a sudden temperature increase, which breaks their cellular membranes. Heat transfer through infrared and visible radiations (up to 200°C) take place at a microscopic level, within some microseconds. The overall product temperature remains unchanged.
Montena and CTCPA have tested the antimicrobial effectiveness on various bacteria such as :
| Bioindicator | Inoculation | Contamination level | Average reduction | |
| Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 | Spore-forming bacterium UV-resistant | A | 8,2 10^5 | > 5 log |
| B | 5,7 10^5 | > 5 log | ||
| Strain Globigii ATCC 9372 Bacillus subtilis var. niger | Spore-forming bacterium resistant to oxidizing agents | A | 6,5 10^6 | > 6 log |
| B | 2,0 10^5 | > 5 log | ||
| Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 | Spore-forming bacterium heat-resistant | A | 2,3 10^6 | > 6 log |
| B | 6,1 10^6 | > 6 log | ||
| Bacillus pumilus ATCC 27142 | Spore-forming bacterium resistant to ionizing radiations | A | 4,8 10^5 | > 5 log |
| B | 5,7 10^5 | > 5 log | ||
| Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris ATCC 49025 | Spore-forming bacterium acidic PH-resistant | A | 2,3 10^5 | > 5 log |
| B | 7,1 10^5 | > 5 log | ||
| A: aerograph technic : contamination of the substrate PE 40x50mm with a spaying method | ||||
| B: spot technic : contamination of the 1cm2 metal substrate with a suspension of some µl. 2 flash treatment | ||||
In addition, montena and CTCPA have done a toxicology studies. Vitamins, finished product from lipidic oxidation (TBA), products from the Maillard reaction (CML and lysine available, acrylamide) remain very low and do not exhibit an oxidation mechanism.
The pulsed light does not influence the product color, or its organoleptic properties.
