Utah State University Makes Novel Food Dehydration Technology Available for Licensing

LOGAN — A Utah State University-patented technology that dehydrates food with UV-A light is now available for licensing. This technology, developed by Luis J. Bastarrachea, offers food dehydration with reduced energy consumption while maintaining product quality.

Invented by Bastarrachea in USU's Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences, the technology utilizes UV-A light in a controlled dehydration system to remove moisture from food products while preserving nutrients, color and appearance. The innovation provides an alternative to conventional drying methods that often require significant energy inputs and may negatively impact food quality.

A New Approach to Food Dehydration

Food dehydration is widely used to prevent spoilage, extend shelf life and reduce transportation and storage costs. However, traditional methods such as hot-air drying, freeze-drying and vacuum-drying can have multiple disadvantages such as high energy consumption, high operation costs long processing times. They may cause nutrient loss, discoloration or undesirable changes in texture.

USU's UV-A dehydration technology addresses these challenges through a closed-chamber system that combines:

• UV-A light exposure.
• Controlled temperature, humidity and airflow.
• Automated moisture monitoring and control.

Together, these components enable efficient moisture removal while minimizing degradation of food quality and reducing energy requirements resulting in higher-quality products with lower energy consumption and operating costs.

Commercial Opportunities for Food Processing and Equipment Manufacturers

As food manufacturers face increasing pressure to reduce energy costs, improve sustainability and deliver higher-quality products, demand continues to grow for innovative processing technologies that improve operational efficiency without sacrificing product performance.

Licensing partners can leverage the technology to:

• Reduce energy consumption and operating costs.
• Differentiate products through improved color and nutrient retention.
• Minimize environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Eliminate chemical preservation additives.
• Improve worker safety compared to UV-C-based systems.
• Develop next-generation food processing equipment.

The technology is designed to be scalable and adaptable across a variety of food products, creating opportunities for both equipment manufacturers and food producers seeking competitive advantages.

Licensing and Partnership Opportunities

The UV-A Light Dehydration of Foods technology is available for licensing through Utah State University Technology Transfer Services, which is actively seeking commercial partners interested in advancing and deploying the technology. Licensing opportunities may include exclusive or non-exclusive agreements, as well as collaborative development partnerships.

Learn more about the technology here.