Quality and safety of reformulated tomato products processed by continuous heat and UV-C pasteurization

) of A. acidoterrestris spores was ∼3.8-fold lower under UV-C-H relative to H, and the z-value decreased by ∼1.3-fold, indicating faster inactivation with a lower temperature requirement. A similar trend was observed in the RTS, where the D- and z-values reduced by ∼3.8-fold and ∼1.3-fold under UV-C-H, respectively. Overall, UV-C-H pasteurization achieved greater inactivation of A. acidoterrestris spores with comparable or slightly higher lycopene degradation relative to heat, supporting its potential as an enhanced pasteurization strategy for acidic tomato products.