title: Efficacy of gaseous chlorine dioxide as a sanitizer against Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Encephalitozoon intestinalis on produce.
abstract: The efficacy of gaseous chlorine dioxide to reduce parasite and bacterial burden in produce was studied. Basil and lettuce leaves were inoculated with Cryptosporidium parvum and Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts, Encephalitozoon intestinalis spores, and a cocktail of two isolates of nalidixic acid-resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7. The inoculated samples were then treated for 20 min with gaseous chlorine dioxide at 4.1 mg/liter. Cryptosporidium had a 2.6 and 3.31 most-probable-number log reduction in basil and lettuce, respectively. Reduction of Encephalitozoon in basil and lettuce was 3.58 and 4.58 CFU/g respectively. E. coli loads were significantly reduced (2.45 to 3.97 log), whereas Cyclospora sporulation was not affected by this treatment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Safety and Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia 30223, USA. Ortega@uga.edu
authors.forename: Ynes R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Vitaliano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017606:Chlorine Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D021744:Cyclospora / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016819:Encephalitozoon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016266:Food Parasitology; D006801:Humans; D018545:Lactuca / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D018649:Ocimum basilicum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count
chemical_list: D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D004202:Disinfectants; D010087:Oxides; C025109:chlorine dioxide