Vitamin D in a flash with Jenact

Leading designer and manufacturer of high performance UV air disinfection, UV surface disinfection and microwave UV technology for the food, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, JenAct, tel:01256 892194) – part of the Jenton Group of companies – has worked with USA-based XENON Corporation’s pulsed UV light system to successfully develop a machine for enriching mushrooms with Vitamin D within a food processing environment.

Vitamin D is naturally sourced from exposure to sunlight or from eating food such as eggs or fatty fish. A combination of awareness of the dangers associated with long term exposure to sunlight and an ever-increasing indoor lifestyle has created a necessity to have alternative intake sources. Long-term research in the USA and Australia has demonstrated that mushrooms are unique in that their vitamin D content can be artificially enhanced.

100g of sun-grown mushrooms contain around 10% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D but almost all commercially grown mushrooms contain about 1 – 2 % of RDA. However, by exposing them to UV light, this can be increased to more than 200 % of RDA.

XENON Corporation had been working on a system for enhancing Vitamin D levels in mushrooms and although successful was only suitable for use in laboratories. Based on the process approved by the FDA and the EU, JenAct has further developed the technology for the food production environment.

For further information:
Vitamin D Enrichment Conveyor
BBC: Vitamin D Article
Fresh Produce Journal Article