Evaluation of Organic Acid-Based Sanitizers for Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during Flume-Washing of Organic Leafy Greens

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DOI: 10.4236/fns.2017.810068    1,025 Downloads   2,144 Views  Citations

ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial efficacy of three novel organic sanitizers, CHICO WashTM, C8C10 and CG100, was evaluated for the reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during flume-washing of organic leafy greens. Organic formulations at various concentrations: CHICO (C3H8I0C3O7) WashTM (1:20 ratio) and C8C10 and CG100 (0.2 and 0.4%), along with the controls: hydrogen-peroxide and water, were used for washing organic baby and mature spinach and romaine and iceberg lettuce. Leafy greens were inoculated with a 2-strain cocktail of E. coli O157:H7 (6 logs CFU/mL) and washed in each treatment for 1 or 2 minutes. The treated leafy greens were stored at 4°C and surviving pathogen populations determined on days 0, 1, and 3 of storage. Organic sanitizers, for both treatment times, significantly (P < 0.05) reduced E. coli O157:H7 on all the leafy greens during storage. Highest reduction (3.4 logs CFU/g) was observed after treatment with CG100 (0.4%) in romaine lettuce, while CHICO WashTM showed greater than 2 logs CFU/g reduction on all the leafy greens, by day 3. This study demonstrates the potential application of organic sanitizers in flume-washing of organic leafy greens for the reduction of E. coli O157:H7.

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Litt, P. , Brooks, J. and Jaroni, D. (2017) Evaluation of Organic Acid-Based Sanitizers for Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during Flume-Washing of Organic Leafy Greens. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 8, 946-960. doi: 10.4236/fns.2017.810068.

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