Annual Report 2007

Advancing Disinfection Technology in Food Processing Georgia Tech researchers have developed an improved disinfection system for the food and beverage industry. I nvestigators are field testing an advanced disinfection technology developed at Georgia Tech that uses ultraviolet (UV) light as an alternative to thermal pasteurization. GTRI is working with two industrial collaborators to evaluate the effectiveness of this patented UV disinfection method in the food and beverage industry. The collaborators are Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., a leading supplier of industrial gases and process technology for various industrial segments, which is based in Allentown, Pa., and Atlanta-based Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electric power. “We believe the Georgia Tech UV disinfection system can alleviate or significantly reduce these problems.” Developed in collaboration with principal investigator Larry Forney, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Georgia Tech UV disinfection process kills bacteria, mold and viruses. Of the three types of ultraviolet light, two types – UV-B and UV-C – can destroy germs, viruses and other pathogens. Standard low- and medium-pressure UV lamp technology can be used for this kind of disinfection, but such light effectively penetrates opaque liquids for only fractions of an inch as light transmittance decreases. The Georgia Tech approach provides better disinfection than similar current UV technologies because its novel mixing technique ensures a more uniform UV exposure, while also using less electrical energy. The Georgia Tech process, which will require eventual FDA approval, uses a phenomenon called a Taylor vortex to move liquids through UV-lighted regions. At the heart of the system are two nested clear cylinders – a stationary outer cylinder containing UV lamps and a rotating inner cylinder. Fluids swirl through the gap between the cylinders in a way that allows UV light to strike every particle of the liquid more evenly. The device was originally used to disinfect rinse water used for food processing tasks. Georgia Tech researchers have modified the system so that even an opaque fluid such as juice or brine can flow in such a way that it receives full UV disinfection. “As a next step in the development of the technology, the team is planning a pilot-scale field test to confirm the capability of the technology in an industrial setting,” Pierson said. “By bringing companies that need a technology together with the university that has the technology, we expect to get this important process out into the marketplace faster.” The project began six years ago with funding from Georgia’s Traditional Industries Program for Food Processing. (FoodPAC). Since then, it has received support from the Southern Company and Air Products. Eliminating organisms such as bacteria during the production of liquid products, which is required under U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rules, can be problematic for the food processing industry. The traditional thermal approach, which dates back to the 19th century, has a number of drawbacks. “The industry’s current liquid disinfection technology – heating and pasteurizing – affects taste, appearance and nutritive value,” said John Pierson, a GTRI principal research engineer. www.gtri.gatech.edu http://www.gtri.gatech.edu

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Annual Report 2007

Annual Report 2007 Contents From the Director Research at GTRI Defense and Security Health and Human Systems Energy and Environment Manufacturing Technologies Information and Communication Technologies GTRI Around the World Interdisciplinary Research Centers The Laboratories of GTRI Georgia Tech Ireland GTRI by the Numbers GTRI and Georgia Tech Supporting Breakthrough Research GTRI Professional Education The People of GTRI

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