Ultraviolet irradiation detoxification of aflatoxins

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation as a non-thermal technology is widely applied in the food industry for disinfection. It also can be used to degrade aflatoxins in foods dues to its low cost, without residues, and minimizing the loss of quality in terms of flavor, color and nutritional value. This article reviews the UV detoxification efficiency of aflatoxins in foods and their safety after being irradiated. UV irradiation can effectively control aflatoxigenic fungi, and degrade their metabolites, namely aflatoxins. Several recent studies suggest that UV wavelength, irradiation intensity, exposure time, moisture contents of foods, types of aflatoxins, pH and thickness of irradiated foods, significantly affect UV detoxification efficiency. The applied research and advanced equipment development in UV detoxification will be the focal points in the future.