Decontamination Efficacy of Neutral and Acidic Electrolyzed Water in Fresh-Cut Salad Washing

The possibility of washing fresh-cut vegetables with neutral (NEW) and acidic (AEW) electrolyzed water instead of highly chlorinated solution was investigated. The decontamination efficacy was tested in vitro against Pseudomonas fluorescens, which is a typical inhabitant of leafy vegetables. The antibacterial efficacy of NEW and AEW was highly dependent on pH solution. NEW and AEW that were adjusted to a pH analogous to that of salad (6.5) completely inactivate P.fluorescens at 30mg/L free chlorine concentration. The same result was achieved by sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution at a much higher free chlorine concentration (150mg/L). NEW and AEW at 30mg/L free chlorine concentration also reduced total mesophilic count, Pseudomonas spp. and total coliforms of salad by circa 1 log cycle. Microbial loads of wastewater deriving from salad washing resulted below the detection limit. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.