{"title":"Pulsed Light Technology for Cheese Safety and Quality: Mechanisms, Matrix Interactions, and Emerging Applications Beyond Surface Microbial Inactivation","authors":"Shazia Akram, Lilia Neri, Md Faridunnabi Nayem, Clemencia Chaves Lόpez","doi":"10.1007/s11947-026-04613-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pulsed light (PL) is a fast-growing surface treatment technology with great potential for rapid microbial inactivation, no chemical residues and minimum influence on the internal food matrix, when properly optimized driven by increasing consumer demand for clean label dairy products. This review briefly summarizes the basics principles of PL technology, including the characteristics of light emission, delivery of fluency, and important process parameters. The mechanisms of microbial inactivation and possible degradation of mycotoxins, including photochemical, photothermal and photophysical mechanisms, with emphasis on DNA damage, cell membrane disruption, oxidative stress and cell responses. Special emphasis is placed on interaction between pulsed light (PL) and the cheese matrix, including the effects of surface roughness, optical properties, fat and protein content, and microbial characteristics. Moreover, the cheese specific PL studies are critically assessed for their role in microbial reduction, shelf life extension and quality effects, and biofilm control and mycotoxin mitigation are discussed as emerging applications where direct evidence for cheese specific PL is limited. Important technological and industrial challenges are thoroughly evaluated, and optimization approaches are suggested. In general, this review offers a critical perspective on the mechanistic and technological constraints of PL in cheese making and suggests priorities for moving laboratory scale data to industrial dairy applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\n<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":562,"journal":{"name":"Food and Bioprocess Technology","volume":"19 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6000,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food and Bioprocess Technology","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11947-026-04613-6","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Pulsed light (PL) is a fast-growing surface treatment technology with great potential for rapid microbial inactivation, no chemical residues and minimum influence on the internal food matrix, when properly optimized driven by increasing consumer demand for clean label dairy products. This review briefly summarizes the basics principles of PL technology, including the characteristics of light emission, delivery of fluency, and important process parameters. The mechanisms of microbial inactivation and possible degradation of mycotoxins, including photochemical, photothermal and photophysical mechanisms, with emphasis on DNA damage, cell membrane disruption, oxidative stress and cell responses. Special emphasis is placed on interaction between pulsed light (PL) and the cheese matrix, including the effects of surface roughness, optical properties, fat and protein content, and microbial characteristics. Moreover, the cheese specific PL studies are critically assessed for their role in microbial reduction, shelf life extension and quality effects, and biofilm control and mycotoxin mitigation are discussed as emerging applications where direct evidence for cheese specific PL is limited. Important technological and industrial challenges are thoroughly evaluated, and optimization approaches are suggested. In general, this review offers a critical perspective on the mechanistic and technological constraints of PL in cheese making and suggests priorities for moving laboratory scale data to industrial dairy applications.
期刊介绍：
Food and Bioprocess Technology provides an effective and timely platform for cutting-edge high quality original papers in the engineering and science of all types of food processing technologies, from the original food supply source to the consumer’s dinner table. It aims to be a leading international journal for the multidisciplinary agri-food research community.
The journal focuses especially on experimental or theoretical research findings that have the potential for helping the agri-food industry to improve process efficiency, enhance product quality and, extend shelf-life of fresh and processed agri-food products. The editors present critical reviews on new perspectives to established processes, innovative and emerging technologies, and trends and future research in food and bioproducts processing. The journal also publishes short communications for rapidly disseminating preliminary results, letters to the Editor on recent developments and controversy, and book reviews.
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