Pulsed UV light boosts vitamin D levels in mushrooms

Wilmington, MA--Australian mushroom growers are grateful to Xenon Corporation and its pulsed ultraviolet (UV) light technology for boosting vitamin D levels in mushrooms. The agricultural research study from the Australian Mushroom Growers Association at www.xenoncorp.com/Literature/PDF/AMGA%20Manual%20final.pdf details the human health and nutrition aspects of Vitamin D, the scientific underpinnings of the UV nutrition-boosting technology, information on how to apply the technology in a commercial setting, and information on how the technology mimics nature's ability to produce Vitamin D naturally in mushrooms in the same way it occurs in mushrooms growing in the wild.

While Vitamin D, valued for its contributions to bone health and disease prevention, is relatively rare in most foods, mushrooms have high concentrations of ergosterol. Studies show that ergosterol can be converted to ergocalciferol (known as Vitamin D2) through exposure to sunlight; in fact sunlight has been shown to boost Vitamin D2 to levels of 10-20 mcg per 100 g of fresh mushrooms (about 3 medium buttons). However, sunlight and mushroom culture are incompatible: mushrooms are grown in the dark because light raises the temperatures in the cool rooms where they must be grown.

Trays of two sizes of mushrooms with diameters of 35 mm and 50 mm were placed on conveyor belts and passed under pulsed light for 1-2 seconds. The resulting Vitamin D2 levels registered at least 10 mcg (400IU) which is the recommended daily amount for adults 50 to 70 years of age.

Xenon Corporation has more than 45 years of experience designing equipment using pulsed UV light technology. With thousands of systems installed for both R&D and demanding 24/7 online applications worldwide, Xenon Corporation is well known for developing and manufacturing products that deliver outstanding performance in industrial, medical, and research applications. In addition to sintering R&D systems for the printed electronics industry, Xenon Corporation produces pulsed UV lamps, and decontamination and UV curing systems.

SOURCE: Xenon Corporation; www.xenoncorp.com/food_enhancement.html#paper