title: Control of spoiler Pseudomonas spp. on fresh cut vegetables by neutral electrolyzed water.
abstract: In the present study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) against 14 strains of spoilage Pseudomonas of fresh cut vegetables under cold storage. The NEW, produced from solutions of potassium and sodium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate developed up to 4000 mg/L of free chlorine, depending on the salt and relative concentration used. The antimicrobial effect of the NEW was evaluated against different bacterial strains at 10(5) cells/ml, with different combinations of free chlorine concentration/contact time; all concentrations above 100 mg/L, regardless of the salt used, were found to be bactericidal already after 2 min. When catalogna chicory and lettuce leaves were dipped for 5 min in diluted NEW, microbial loads of mesophilic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae were reduced on average of 1.7 log cfu/g. In addition, when lettuce leaves were dipped in a cellular suspension of the spoiler Pseudomonas chicorii I3C strain, diluted NEW was able to reduce Pseudomonas population of about 1.0 log cfu/g. Thanks to its high antimicrobial activity against spoilage microorganisms, and low cost of operation, the application of cycles of electrolysis to the washing water looks as an effective tool in controlling fresh cut vegetable microbial spoilage contamination occurring during washing steps.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy, Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: loris.pinto@ispa.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Loris
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari, Via G. Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.ippolito@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ippolito
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy, Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: federico.baruzzi@ispa.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baruzzi
mesh_terms: D058491:Bacterial Load; D018651:Cichorium intybus / Q000382:microbiology; D002713:Chlorine / Q000032:analysis*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000032:analysis; D004572:Electrolysis / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000379:methods; D018545:Lactuca / Q000382:microbiology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000032:analysis; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000502:physiology*; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate / Q000032:analysis; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000032:analysis; D014675:Vegetables / Q000382:microbiology*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D002713:Chlorine; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate
keywords: Neutral electrolyzed water; Ready to eat vegetables; Spoilage Pseudomonas spp.; Water disinfection