Ultraviolet light is well-known for its ability to kill germs, including ones that cause food to spoil. And while there doesn't tend to be any food-preserving UV light in our refrigerators, a new consumer device is out to change that.
Called the EcoLoc, the gadget actually consists of two parts: a small battery-powered UV lamp module, and a clear glass food container lid with a cradle in which the module is placed. The lid is compatible with Ikea's existing line of 365+ food storage containers.
At the heart of the module is a special chip designed by scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and Swedish company PureFize Technologies. That chip produces short wave UV light – aka UVC, which is the most effective type for killing germs – and it does so without the use of toxic mercury, which is typically utilized in conventional UVC lamps.
Instead, the chip takes advantage of a process known as cathodoluminescence.
Putting it simply(ish), this involves passing electrons from a zinc-oxide cathode, through an electric field which accelerates them, and onto a cathode. That cathode is coated in a material that emits mainly UVC light – along with some UVA and UVB – when excited by the electrons.
And no, the EcoLoc isn't intended to be switched on continuously. The general idea is that it initially gets switched on for a few minutes when the food is first placed in the container – an integrated timer automatically shuts it off. Users can then opt to switch it on for a few minutes every day thereafter.
In lab tests, the device was found to be highly effective at eradicating harmful Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Legionella pneumophila bacteria on the surface of foods. It also extended the fridge life of tomatoes by seven days, buns by 22 days, and blueberries by up to 28 days.
A paper on the research, which was led by Nanyang's Prof. Hilmi Volkan Demir, was recently published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials.
A starter kit consisting of one lamp module and three lids is available now via the EcoLoc website, priced at €79 (about US$89). Potential buyers might also want to check out the Aurora system, which pretreats fridge-bound food containers with UVC light while also vacuum-sealing them.
Sources: Nanyang Technological University, EcoLoc
