Characterization of pulsed light for microbial inactivation

Pulsed light is an emerging technology that can serve as an alternative to current antimicrobial interventions in the food industry. The first objective of this study was to define the spectrum and energy characteristics of pulsed light. The second objective was to establish the germicidal response of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ser. Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus (vegetative cells and endospores), Aspergillus niger spores, and Penicillium roqueforti spores were evaluated following pulsed light treatments. Microorganisms were treated using three different broad-spectrum xenon gas flashlamps (Type A: 380–1100 nm, Type B: 235–1100 nm, and Type C: 190–1100 nm) for up to 15 pulses. All microorganisms experienced a significant interaction of flashlamp type × treatment duration (P