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Effect of Electrolyzed Water for Reduction of Foodborne Pathogens on Lettuce and Spinach
Author(s) -
Park E.J.,
Alexander E.,
Taylor G.A.,
Costa R.,
Kang D.H.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2008.00809.x
Subject(s) - spinach , chemistry , listeria monocytogenes , inoculation , food science , salmonella , reduction potential , horticulture , biology , bacteria , biochemistry , inorganic chemistry , genetics
ABSTRACT: The ability of electrolyzed water (EW) to inactivate foodborne pathogens on the surfaces of lettuce and spinach was investigated. Lettuce and spinach leaves were inoculated with a cocktail of 3 strains each of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes and treated with acidic electrolyzed water (AC‐EW), alkaline electrolyzed water (AK‐EW), alkaline electrolyzed water followed by acidic electrolyzed water (sequential treatment, AK‐EW + AC‐EW), deionized water followed by acidic electrolyzed water (sequential treatment, DW + AC‐EW), and deionized water (control, DW) for 15, 30 s, and 1, 3, and 5 min at room temperature (22 ± 2 °C). For all 3 pathogens, the same pattern of microbial reduction on lettuce and spinach were apparent. The relative efficacy of reduction was AC‐EW > DW + AC‐EW ≈ AK‐EW + AC‐EW > AK‐EW > control. After a 3‐min treatment of AC‐EW, the 3 tested pathogens were reduced below the detection limit (0.7 log). DW + AC‐EW and AK‐EW + AC‐EW produced the same levels of reduction after 5 min when compared to the control. AK‐EW did not reduce levels of pathogens even after a 5‐min treatment on lettuce and spinach. Results suggest that AC‐EW treatment was able to significantly reduce populations of the 3 tested pathogens from the surfaces of lettuce and spinach with increasing time of exposure.