Efficacy of FIT Produce Wash and Chlorine Dioxide on Pathogen Control in Fresh Potatoes

• Published in: Journal of food science Vol. 73; no. 6; pp. M278 - M282
• Main Authors: Park, E.-J, Gray, P.M, Oh, S.-W, Kronenberg, J, Kang, D.-H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01-08-2008; Institute of Food Technologists; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - growth & development; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorine Compounds - pharmacology; chlorine dioxide; cleaners; Colony Count, Microbial; Disinfectants - pharmacology; disinfection; Disinfection - methods; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; E coli; Escherichia coli O157:H7; FIT; FIT Produce Wash; Food industries; Food Microbiology; food pathogens; Food science; fresh potato processing; fresh-cut foods; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi - drug effects; Fungi - growth & development; Gram-negative bacteria; microbial contamination; microbial detection; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; molds (fungi); Oxides - pharmacology; Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum; plate count; potato tuber; Potatoes; produce wash; Salmonella typhimurium; sanitizer; Solanum tuberosum - microbiology; washing; wastewater; water quality; yeasts; FIT; Potato; potato tuber; Vegetables; fresh potato processing; produce wash; sanitizer; Tuber; Chlorine dioxide; Disinfecting agent
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2008.00793.x

A commercial fresh pack potato operation was used as a model to evaluate FIT fruit and vegetable wash effectiveness in reducing levels of microorganisms on potatoes and in flume water. Fresh potatoes were washed in flume water with or without FIT, or treated with a spray bar utilizing either FIT, 9 ppm chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), or a water control. Both flume treatments were also evaluated for APC and Gram-negatives. There were no significant differences in reduction of these microorganisms on treated or control potatoes. However, levels of Gram-negative bacteria in FIT-amended flume water were reduced by 5.95 log CFU/g, and the APC was reduced by 1.43 log CFU/g. To validate plant trial findings, this test was repeated using solutions of sterile potato flume water from the fresh pack operation, containing a typical level of dissolved and suspended solids. Treatment solutions prepared with flume water or deionized water containing FIT, 9 ppm ClO₂, or a water control were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, or Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. carotovorum. FIT and ClO₂ prepared with deionized water reduced levels of microorganisms by >6.1 to 6.6 log CFU/g to below the detection limit. FIT prepared with flume water reduced levels of all organisms by >6.0 to 6.4 log CFU/g to below the detection limit, whereas ClO₂ prepared from flume water reduced bacterial levels of all organisms by only 0.7 to 1.4 log CFU/g. Neither FIT nor ClO₂ was particularly efficacious against E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, APC, yeasts, or molds on potato surfaces.