title: Physicochemical quality and chemical safety of chlorine as a reconditioning agent and wash water disinfectant for fresh-cut lettuce washing.
abstract: Chlorine was assessed as a reconditioning agent and wash water disinfectant in the fresh-cut produce industry. Artificial fresh-cut lettuce wash water, made from butterhead lettuce, was used for the experiments. In the reconditioning experiments, chlorine was added to artificial wash water inoculated with Escherichia coli O157 (6 log CFU/ml). Regression models were constructed based on the inactivation data and validated in actual wash water from leafy vegetable processing companies. The model that incorporated chlorine dose and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wash water accurately predicted inactivation. Listeria monocytogenes was more resistant to chlorine reconditioning in artificial wash water than Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157. During the washing process with inoculated lettuce (4 log CFU/g), in the absence of chlorine, there was a rapid microbial buildup in the water that accumulated to 5.4 ± 0.4 log CFU/100 ml after 1 h. When maintaining a residual concentration of 1 mg/liter free chlorine, wash water contamination was maintained below 2.7, 2.5, and 2.5 log CFU/100 ml for tap water and artificial process water with COD values of 500 and 1,000 mg O2/liter, respectively. A model was developed to predict water contamination during the dynamic washing process. Only minor amounts of total trihalomethanes were formed in the water during reconditioning. Total trihalomethanes accumulated to larger amounts in the water during the wash water disinfection experiments and reached 124.5 ± 13.4 μg/liter after 1 h of execution of the washing process in water with a COD of 1,000 mg O2/liter. However, no total trihalomethanes were found on the fresh-cut lettuce after rinsing.
authors: Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Sam
authors: S
authors: Van Haute
authors: Imca
authors: I
authors: Sampers
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Holvoet
authors: Mieke
authors: M
authors: Uyttendaele
mesh_terms: D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D062067:Chemical Safety; D002713:Chlorine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000592:standards; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000592:standards; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018545:Lactuca / Q000382:microbiology*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D022882:Trihalomethanes / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D022882:Trihalomethanes; D014867:Water; D002713:Chlorine
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