Portal de Murcia

www.portaldemurcia.com

• Home
• Business
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• News
• Advertisement

Is part of a larger project on new applications of light pulses in improving food security

Researchers at the Catholic University San Antonio de Murcia are working on a project to increase food safety in relation to the possible presence of pathogenic bacteria, pesticide residues and toxins produced by fungi and increase the benefits to health of fruits;

all this by applying technology light pulses.

The research consists of four sub-projects, one which evaluate the ability of the light pulses to increase the concentration of antioxidant compounds in fruits representative of the Region of Murcia, having as main objective to study the effects of this new technology on apricot, "which has many beneficial health effects," says lead researcher on the project, Vicente Gómez, who also ensures that experts in the field of health attributed to the antioxidant effects such as prevention of heart disease and some cancers.

'Pimiento de Murcia'

Another field in which researchers UCAM will work in the study of photolytic destruction of pesticides (organophosphates), whose presence in food is an obvious health risk to consumers, to promote the development of cancers, mutations and interfere with normal fetal development.

They also investigated the inactivation of spores of the fungus Aspergillus ochraceus (producer of ochratoxin A) and the destruction of this in pepper with designation of origin 'Pimiento de Murcia.

From the own research group suggest that ochratoxin A is one of the most potent carcinogens known.

This project, which lasts two years, will allow the UCAM position at the forefront in the study of one of the newest technologies for non-thermal processing of food in the world today, technology light pulses, and create the seed for the future study of other cutting edge technologies.

Also part of the Research Plan with Murcia counts institution.

Technology pulses of light

As pointed out by Vicente Gómez, the project is based on the application of light pulses of broad spectrum, high power, high frequency short duration;

the duration of treatment is usually a few seconds, microbial inactivation being the most developed application.

Source: UCAM