Summary
Abstract
The decontamination efficacy of neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) was evaluated using shredded cabbages and carrots in both a scalable laboratory system (experiment I) and an actual processing line in a plant (experiment II). In experiment I, the antimicrobial effect of highly concentrated NEW (up to the maximum regulated level: 200 ppm) was tested to determine the appropriate conditions for use in an actual plant test: (1) hypochlorous acid (HClO) concentration (100, 150, and 200 ppm), (2) ratio of sample weight to NEW volume (1:5, 1:10, and 1:20), and (3) treatment time (5, 10, 20, and 30 min), using 2 kg of shredded cabbages and carrots. In experiment II, the feasibility of the NEW treatment was validated on an actual processing line (treatment unit: 20 kg), including cutting, three washing steps (two air bubble washes for 5 min each and 150 ppm NEW for 5 min at ratio of 1:10), rinsing (5 min), and dehydration (5 min). Overall, the microbial reductions tended to increase as the HClO concentration, ratio of sample to NEW, and treatment time increased. The results obtained from experiment I indicated that the maximum conditions (NEW 200 ppm, 1:20, 30 min) achieved 3.3 3.5 log CFU/g reductions in the coliform counts. After treatment with 200 ppm NEW for > 10 min, however, there were noticeable color changes (color differences, DE > 5.0) in both the shredded cabbages and carrots. In the experiment II, the microbial populations were not affected by cutting and two air bubble treatments, whereas washing with NEW greatly reduced both the aerobic plate counts (1.93 2.17 log CFU/g) and coliform counts (0.97 1.51 log CFU/g). More than 2 log CFU/g of indigenous flora were reduced from raw materials to final products with both shredded cabbages (2.05 2.48 log CFU/g) and carrots (2.34 2.76 log CFU/g). These results may provide useful recommendations for the practical application of highly concentrated NEW in the fresh-cut produce industry to improve the microbiological safety without quality deterioration.
Study details
- Published in: Food Research International 64 (2014): 234-240
- Microbes studied: Total Microbial Count
Source
Source: Food Research International 64 (2014): 234-240
Conditions tested
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Organisms | Total microbial count |
| Relevant sectors | Food Processing, Produce & Packing |
| Publication | Food Research International, 2014 |
Reading this responsibly
Published figures are obtained under controlled conditions, usually on clean surfaces or in defined matrices. Organic load, surface condition, temperature and application coverage all affect real-world performance. Use these numbers to design a protocol, then validate it on your own site with environmental swabbing.
Applying it
Concentrations in this range are within the adjustable output of every EcoloxTech commercial system, so implementing this protocol is a settings question rather than a procurement one. Where the claim needs to sit on a registered label, see HOCl-AS200, EPA Reg. No. 101112-1.