Validation of UV coiled tube reactor for fresh juices

The objective of this study was to validate the performance of a coiled ultraviolet (UV) module with 24 lamps for fresh juice pasteurization. Escherichia coli K12 at an inoculation level of 106 cfu mL–1 was chosen as a target microorganism for biodosimetry. All tested fruit juices highly absorbed UV light, with absorption coefficients ranging from 11 cm–1 to 78 cm–1 for lillikoi and pineapple juice, respectively. Of the juices examined, pineapple juice appeared to be the worst case scenario in terms of UV absorptivity and high viscosity. A caramel model solution was developed to mimic juice absorption properties and was used for inoculation studies. The 5-log10 reduction standard under turbulent flow required by the FDA was achievable in Newtonian liquids with absorption coefficient less than 15 cm–1 after one pass. Turbulent flow was not developed in more viscous orange and pineapple juices at the flow rates tested. A biodosimetry technique that utilizes E. coli as a tracer showed no distribution of UV dose in liquids with absorption coefficient lower than 26 cm–1. The proposed technique may assist in validating the performance of UV reactors and improve efficiency of UV pasteurization. Key words: coiled ultraviolet module, fruit juices, caramel model, E. coli K12, biodosimetry.