Arcos-Limiñana Víctor, Maestre-Pérez Salvador, Prats-Moya María Soledad
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2025 Jan;24(1):e70076. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.70076.
Spices and culinary seeds, valued for their flavor and aroma, pose unique challenges for disinfection, as heat treatments are often unsuitable. Their raw consumption increases the risk of contamination, particularly with Salmonella spp. Thermal treatments are widely used for food disinfection due to their effectiveness in inactivating bacteria. However, these methods often degrade the nutritional and sensory qualities of food. Ultraviolet (UV) light, however, is a promising nonthermal technique that balances microbial inactivation and food quality preservation. This review employed a systematic approach to evaluate the effects of UV treatments, both alone and in combination with other techniques, on the microbiological safety and chemical composition of spices and culinary seeds. UV treatments have been shown to effectively inactivate bacteria, molds, and mycotoxins without triggering the same chemical reactions that reduce the quality of plant-based foods. Some studies have even suggested improvements in nutritional parameters following UV exposure, such as the increase of antioxidant activity or total phenolic content. However, inconsistencies in study quality limit the strength of current conclusions, and further research is needed. Critical areas for future investigation include scaling UV reactors, combining treatments, exploring UV-LED technology, conducting sensory analyses, and studying the inactivation of bacterial spores and mycotoxins.
香料和烹饪用种子因其风味和香气而备受珍视，但由于热处理通常不合适，它们的消毒面临独特挑战。生食这些香料和种子会增加污染风险，尤其是感染沙门氏菌属。热处理因其在灭活细菌方面的有效性而被广泛用于食品消毒。然而，这些方法常常会降低食品的营养和感官品质。不过，紫外线（UV）光是一种有前景的非热技术，能在微生物灭活和食品品质保存之间取得平衡。本综述采用系统方法评估紫外线处理单独以及与其他技术联合使用时，对香料和烹饪用种子的微生物安全性和化学成分的影响。已证明紫外线处理能有效灭活细菌、霉菌和霉菌毒素，而不会引发降低植物性食品品质的相同化学反应。一些研究甚至表明，紫外线照射后营养参数有所改善，如抗氧化活性或总酚含量增加。然而，研究质量的不一致限制了当前结论的可信度，还需要进一步研究。未来研究的关键领域包括扩大紫外线反应器规模、联合处理、探索紫外线发光二极管技术、进行感官分析以及研究细菌孢子和霉菌毒素的灭活情况。
