Development and evaluation of an intelligent UVC sterilization system for raw aquatic food production

Abstract Raw aquatic food is regarded as an important source of proteins. However, the presence of various bacteria can increase the risk of disease in humans. As a result, a crucial step in the processing of aquatic products is the disinfection of raw aquatic food. An intelligent ultraviolet c radiation (UVC) sterilization system was established and evaluated in this study. On the automated production line, the UVC lamp's sterilization intensity can be automatically adjusted to achieve intelligent sterilization of the various aquatic product categories. The system was implemented and evaluated for oyster surface sterilization experiments in the production line. The quality indicators of oysters, such as volatile salt nitrogen content and aerobic bacterial count, were measured before and after sterilization. The average sterilization rate of the intelligent system is 96.4%. The results showed that the system had an excellent sterilization effect and improved the shelf life of aquatic products.