UV-C Irradiation on the Quality of Green Tea: Effect on Catechins, Antioxidant Activity, and Cytotoxicity.

Short wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) irradiation is a nonthermal processing technique that is a possible alternative to the heat pasteurization of tea beverages. This study investigated the effect of UV-C irradiation on the antioxidant concentration of green tea and analyzed cytotoxicity of irradiated a green tea beverage using a novel continuous flow-through UV system. The results demonstrated that the UV-C irradiation did not significantly deplete catechins or produce cytotoxic byproducts.