INNOVATIVE FOOD SANITIZATION TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORTTHE ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION IN THE DAIRY SECTOR

The promotion of alternative food systems that increase production to meet growing demand while reducing environmental impacts is a key challenge in advancing the 2030 Agenda. This transition will transform our food systems by promoting safe technologies that maintain product quality while reducing emissions and resource consumption. These changes will affect the entire food supply chain, including processing. Milk is a widely consumed food item, also processed into products like buter, cheese and yogurt. To ensure safety and extend shelf life, raw milk undergoes heat treatments such as pasteurisation and sterilisation. While effective, these methods alter milk organoleptic properties, nutritional content, and have a substantial environmental impact due to high water, energy consumption, and emissions. To address these challenges, this project investigates infrared (IR) radiation as an alternative for raw milk treatment. The first step was to assess the pilot plant ability to pump milk at the correct flow rate and determine the most appropriate energy level. Microbiological analysis using plate sowing and organoleptic assessment through GC-MS evaluation of volatile compounds were performed to compare raw and IR treated milk. Once the optimal energy and flow parameters were identifed, the effectiveness of IR treatment on pathogenic microorganisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and Enterobacteriaceae, was studied. The results showed that IR treatment successfully eliminated these pathogens. As the project progressed, the focus shifted to identifying potential markers that could distinguish IR-treated milk from raw milk. Alongside GC-MS analysis, metabolomic analysis using HPLC-HRMS was conducted, revealing certain compounds that changed after IR treatment, suggesting potential biomarkers for this technology. Preliminary assessments of water and energy consumption, as well as emissions reductions, highlighted the environmental benefts of IR treatment. Finally, the technology was tested on other food matrices, such as lemon tea, where IR treatment was particularly effective in reducing mould and yeast content. This research contributes significantly to evaluating alternatives to conventional heat treatments. The study findings form the basis for scaling up the pilot plant and emphasize the need for further research to refine and expand the technology for broader application.