Effect of milk film thickness on the efficiency of UVC radiated sterilization of raw cow's milk

• Published in: International journal of food properties Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 1497 - 1505
• Main Authors: Guamán-Lozada, Darío Fernando, Chuquin Vasco, Daniel, Parada Rivera, Mabel, Pilco Bonilla, Gisela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 22.09.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Bacteria; bacterial count; Cow's milk; Escherichia coli; Food contamination & poisoning; milk; pasteurization; Pasteurized milk; Radiation; Statistical analysis; Sterilization; Ultraviolet radiation; UV-C radiation
• ISSN: 1094-2912; 1532-2386
• DOI: 10.1080/10942912.2023.2220553

In this study, the effect of UV-C radiation at different milk thickness levels on the bacterial count of raw and pasteurized milk contaminated with Escherichia coli was investigated. A total of 27 samples were irradiated with different UV-C doses (1302.0, 33839.7, and 64,060.7 J/m 2 ) and at different thicknesses (2, 4, and 6 mm). A quadratic model was developed to predict the bacterial count as a function of the UV-C dose and the thickness of the milk. The results showed that the bacterial count decreased exponentially with increasing UV-C dose and that the effect of the dose was more pronounced at lower thicknesses. The statistical analysis of the data revealed that the model was highly significant, with an adjusted R-squared of 0.981. Additionally, physical and chemical analyses were performed on the irradiated pasteurized and E. coli-contaminated milk and compared to the respective standard for pasteurized milk. The results showed that the quality and composition of the milk treated with UV-C were not affected. The results of this study indicate that UV-C radiation can be used as an effective method for reducing bacterial counts in milk while preserving the quality and composition of the milk.