Thermal treatment introduces water to the dry food facility and to the product, which may cause issues such as increased risk of growth of Listeria or mold after the treatment has been applied. These technologies can sufficiently reduce vegetative pathogens but may be associated with drawbacks such as deterioration of food quality, low efficiency of spore inactivation, high costs, and potential risks to the environment.

Technologies that traditionally tackle such contamination in dry foods are based on treatments using steam (thermal treatment), chemicals (e.g., ethylene oxide), and irradiation. (including Bacillus cereus), Clostridium perfringens, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as insect parts and excrement are among the main pathogens and filth adulterants found in spices. The microbial levels on dry food matrices are often extremely high due to potentially low hygiene levels during their growth, harvest, storage, and processing, especially if they include steps such as fermentation or sun drying. 1 Fatal foodborne-illness outbreaks, costly lawsuits, and recalls are an issue not only for perishable, high-water-activity RTE products but also for their ingredients, such as spices, herbs, seeds, and grains. Globalization and new consumer trends, demanding fresh, high-quality, minimally processed, ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, have resulted in high industry standards and strict regulations for the food safety of low-moisture foods. What is it and how does it solve the rising issues of microbial contamination in dry foods?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was recently granted to the breakthrough application. from spices at industrially relevant throughputs. Low-energy electron beam (LEEB) technology was validated in 2020, demonstrating a high level of reduction of Salmonella spp.

Spore steam