Food irradiated by ultraviolet rays can still be eaten. Disinfecting food with ultraviolet with appropriate wavelength will not produce harmful substances, and there is no safety problem. Moreover, for some foods that want to keep "natural state", such as fruit juice, ultraviolet sterilization is more advantageous.
Ultraviolet light is invisible light, which lies outside purple light in the spectrum. Refers to the radiation with the wavelength from 10 nm to 400 nm in the electromagnetic spectrum. Ultraviolet rays can be used for sterilization. After being absorbed by bacteria or viruses, it will destroy their DNA, thus making them lose their ability to proliferate.
Moreover, ultraviolet sterilization will not cause any damage to substances, and can preserve the integrity of food to the greatest extent. But too much ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer.
Ultraviolet sterilization is mainly used because it can destroy the DNA of bacteria, and DNA is not a nutrient. Therefore, irradiating food with ultraviolet rays has no effect on its nutritional components.
Ultraviolet rays will not play a heating role, and the food sterilized by ultraviolet rays will not be heated, so it will not destroy the flavor of the food. Disinfecting food with ultraviolet rays of appropriate wavelength will not produce harmful substances, let alone cause cancer.
Extended data:
active action
disinfect
Ultraviolet sterilization, short-wave ultraviolet is extremely destructive to microorganisms. When ultraviolet rays in this band irradiate bacteria, the nuclear protein and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of cells strongly absorb the energy in this band, and the chain between them is opened and broken, which leads to the death of bacteria. Such as an ultraviolet mercury lamp or a metal halide lamp.
Health function
Health care function of ultraviolet rays on human body. After the ultraviolet rays with the wavelength of 280 ~ 320 nm irradiate the human body, it can cause photochemical process and photoelectric reaction of the skin, and make the skin produce many active substances, thus playing a health care role. Use ultraviolet radiation to regulate the function of higher nerves, improve sleep and lower blood pressure. Regular exposure to ultraviolet rays can enhance the phagocytosis of white blood cells and enhance people's immune function.
Promote the production of vitamins
Sunbathing is a source of vitamin D. Another source is food. For example, ultraviolet rays in sunlight are an important factor to promote mushrooms to produce vitamin D. Whether it is a picked mushroom or not, it has this function. Therefore, fresh mushrooms should be dried and vitamin D supplementation is effective.
Decompose oil fume
The molecular chain of oil is changed by ultraviolet rays, and at the same time, this ultraviolet ray reacts with oxygen in the air to produce ozone, which will cool the oil molecules to produce carbon dioxide and water, and the organic matter in the oil fume is photooxidized and the odor is eliminated.
Decompose organic matter
Adding (or coating) a small amount of nano titanium dioxide powder on the surface of building materials or household appliances can adsorb volatile organic compounds VOC (such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethanol, chloroform, etc. ), which can be decomposed after ultraviolet irradiation.