“Test results have shown that the Light Processed System, in conjunction with CDF’s state-of-the-art Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) program, reduces the threat of potentially harmful bacteria to levels well within those mandated by new FDA regulations,” says Cruver, who has a patent pending on the technology.
Fresh juice enters the UV module, which contains a length of transparent Teflon-coiled, one-inch diameter tubing sufficient for seven gallons of juice. The tube is enclosed and surrounded by UV lamps and reflectors. Its low-pressure mercury lamps generate 90 percent of their energy at 253.7-nanomer wavelength with the remainder falling within 240 and 260 nanometers. Cruver’s studies show optimal inactivation of viruses and bacteria at this wavelength. As the juice tumbles through the tubing, it is completely exposed to the UV light, which effectively fuses harmful bacteria’s reproductive DNA structure, rendering them incapable of reproducing. Exposure time is generally one minute.