Optimizing UV-C irradiation for microbial safety and quality of Kinnow fruit juice

Abstract

The study analyzed UV-C irradiation as a non-thermal preservation method for Kinnow fruit juice (KFJ), aiming to reduce microbial contamination while preserving vitamin C content. By eliminating the need for thermal processing and chemical preservatives, the approach promotes energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable juice preservation. Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), optimal UV exposure (25 minutes at 5 cm) predicted 34.056% vitamin C loss and 3.539 and 3.485 log reductions of AM and YM, respectively. The ANN model demonstrated superior performance over RSM, indicating that the ANN gives more accurate and reliable predictions. First-order kinetic modeling (R² = 0.983) shows better fittings than the Weibull model. Shelf-life studies revealed that KFJ stored at 4 °C in glass containers retained higher vitamin C and microbial stability, extending product shelf-life by nearly 6 days. These findings suggest that UV-C processing, in combination with proper packaging and storage conditions, holds the potential for juice preservation at the commercial level.