Campden BRI boosts investment in new technologies

Campden BRI has expanded its capabilities in emerging technologies with the purchase of a continuous UV-C and the installation of a large scale cold plasma machine. The new installations, which are worth in excess of £100,000, add to existing HPP, power ultrasound and pulsed light equipment at Campden BRI, which are available to companies that require independent practical evaluations of the technologies.

Cold plasma offers potential application for the disinfection of surfaces, in particular equipment, packaging, food contact surfaces or even food itself and could extend shelf life or allow online disinfection of processing equipment to reduce cross-contamination and the establishment of biofilms.

A video on the Campden BRI website (see www.campdenbri.co.uk/videos/cold-plasma.php) explains more about how cold plasma works.

Similarly, UV light can be used to disinfect water and air systems. UV-C, which includes UV light with the wavelengths of 254 nm, is particularly damaging to microbial cells. Current industrial applications of UV-C include the treatment of conveying lines, packaging and containers, as well as the surfaces of food products such as fruits or vegetables and bakery products.

Both cold plasma and continuous UV-C require no liquids, making these technologies potentially suitable disinfection tools for manufacturers of low water activity products.

The team has also expanded in recent years, with the appointment of food technologist Dr Izabela Palgan, who has knowledge in a range of emerging technologies including power ultrasound, pulsed electric field, and pulsed light processing, and has a particular interest in ultraviolet light.