Food Disinfection & More Electrolyzed Water

Electrolyzed Water – Food Disinfection Applications

Compied by Heartspring Staff

 

Electrolyzed water has anti-microbial effects used in commercial food processing applications. Electrolyzed water’s pH, milli-volt, exposure time, as well as, the addition of sodium chloride, converted to hypochlorous acid, provide a range of effects.

The research of electrolyzed acid water include, Bacteria/drug effects, Chlorine Compounds, Disinfectants, Food Handling/methods, Food Microbiology, Hydrogen Peroxide, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, superoxidized water.

Effectiveness of low concentration electrolyzed water to inactivate foodborne pathogens under different environmental conditions.

The effective form of chlorine compounds in low concentration electrolyzed water was almost exclusively hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which has strong antimicrobial activity and leaves no residuals due to the low concentration of residual chlorine. Thus, low concentration electrolyzed water could be widely applied as a new sanitizer in the food industry.

Authors: Rahman SM, Ding T, Oh DH.
Publication: International Journal of Food Microbiology 2010 May 15;139(3):147-53. Epub 2010 Mar 25 PMID:20385418

Postharvest management of gray mold and brown rot on surfaces of peaches and grapes using electrolyzed oxidizing water.

This study evaluated the potential use of near-neutral (pH=6.3-6.5) electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO water) to inactivate pure cultures of Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola and to mitigate fungal infection of these organisms on fruit surfaces. The results from this study suggest that these solutions may prove to be effective for postharvest sanitation of fruit surfaces prior to packaging and may increase the shelf life of the fruit in commercial settings.

Authors: Guentzel JL, Lam KL, Callan MA, Emmons SA, Dunham VL.
Publication: International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2010 Jul 27. PMID:20696490

 

Efficacy of sanitized ice in reducing bacterial load on fish fillet and in the water collected from the melted ice.

These results showed that the organic acid formulation and Neutral electrolyzed Water considerably reduced the bacterial numbers in the melted ice and thus reduced the potential for cross-contamination.

Authors: Feliciano L, Lee J, Lopes JA, Pascall MA.
Publication:Journal of Food Science 2010 May;75(4):M231-8. PMID:2054641

Evaluation of the washing and sterilization of vegetables using electrolyzed strong acid aqueous solution.

Authors: HUANG C-C CHENG T-C YANG Y-R CHUNG Y-H CHI J-RAuthor Address: Food Ind. Research. Dev. Inst., Hsinchu, Taiwan. Source: JOURNAL OF THE CHINESE AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL SOCIETY; 36 (5). 1998. 473-482.

Abstract: BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. A strong acid aqueous solution was obtained from the anode side by means of electrolysis of water containing 0.5% sodium chloride. The pH value of this electrolyzed solution was ca. 2.7, the oxidation-reduction potential was +1100 mV, and the concentration of available chlorine was ca. 35 ppm. The strong acid aqueous solution was found to be more effective in washing and disinfecting vegetables. The total count of the cabbage decreased 99% in 30 seconds and the coliform count decreased in one minute following washing in the strong acid aqueous solution. The total counts of three other vegetables (purple cabbage, lettuce and leek) washed in the strong acid aqueous solution decreased by 98%. The color did not change during 10 minutes of soaking if the surface of the six sample vegetables (cabbage, purple cabbage, lettuce, leek, tarragon and pakchoi) was not damaged. The solution had a significant effect in decreasing the counts of Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli O15

Fundamental studies on crop disease control by spraying electrolyzed strong acid water.

Authors: FUJIWARA, K. DOI, R. IIMOTO, M. SHI Q-C.Author Address: Graduate Sch. Sci. Technol., Chiba Univ., Matsudo 271-8510, Japan. Source: ENVIRONMENT CONTROL IN BIOLOGY; 36 (4). 1998. 245-249.

Abstract: BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Effect was investigated of spraying electrolyzed strong acid water (ESAW) obtained by electrolysis of a NaCl dilute (ca. 50 mg L-1) water solution on the incidence of downy mildew (Pseudoperonospra cubensis Rostowzew) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Naoyoshi) grown in a plastic house. pH, free effective chlorine concentration and oxidation-reduction potential of the ESAW were 2.8, 32 ppm and 1 120 mV, respectively. Different amounts of either the ESAW (0.25, 0.5 or 1 L plant-1) or well water (0.5 L plant-1) were sprayed onto the leaves once every third or fourth day. The incidence of downy mildew was controlled almost perfectly for the experimental period of 17 d by spraying the ESAW, regardless of the amount sprayed, while the symptom of downy mildew was observed on day 10 with well water and on day 13 with non-treated control. On day 17, the incidence was significantly reduced by spraying the ESAW (0 or 2%) as compared to both well water (48%) and non-treated cont

Efficacy of acidic electrolyzed water ice for pathogen control on lettuce.

Koseki S, Isobe S, Itoh K.Food Processing Laboratory, National Food Research Institute, 2-1-12 Kannondai, Tsukuba 305-8642, Japan. Journal of Food Prot. 2004 Nov;67(11):2544-9.

Acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW) was used as frozen AcEW (AcEW-ice) for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on lettuce. AcEW-ice was prepared from AcEW with 20, 50, 100, and 200 ppm of available chlorine by freezing at -40 degrees C and generated 30, 70, 150, and 240 ppm of chlorine gas (Cl2), respectively. The AcEW-ice was placed into styrene-foam containers with lettuce samples at 20 degrees C for 24 h. Although AcEW-ice generating 30 ppm Cl2 had no effect on L. monocytogenes cell counts, AcEW-ice generating 70 to 240 ppm of Cl2 significantly (P < 0.05) reduced L. monocytogenes by ca. 1.5 log CFU/g. E. coli O157:H7 cell counts were reduced by 1.0 log CFU/g with AcEW-ice generating 30 ppm of Cl2. AcEW-ice generating 70 and 150 ppm of Cl2 reduced E. coli O157:H7 by 2.0 log CFU/g. Further significant reduction of E. coli O157:H7 (2.5 log CFU/g) was demonstrated by treatment with AcEW-ice generating 240 ppm of Cl2. However, treatment with AcEW-ice generating 240 ppm of Cl2 resulted in a physiological disorder resembling leaf burn. AcEW-ice that generated less than 150 ppm of Cl2 had no effect on the surface color of the lettuce. AcEW-ice, regardless of the concentration of the emission of Cl2, had no effect on the ascorbic acid content in the lettuce. The weight ratio of lettuce to AcEW-ice required was determined to be over 1:10. The bactericidal effect of AcEW-ice appeared within the first 2 h. The use of AcEW-ice provides simultaneously for low temperature storage and inactivation of bacteria.

Neutral electrolyzed water is a novel disinfection system that could represent an alternative to sodium hypochlorite

“Neutral electrolyzed water” seems to be a promising disinfection method, as it would allow to reduce the amount of free chlorine used for the disinfection of fresh-cut produce by the food industry, as the same microbial reduction as sodium hypochlorite is obtained. This would constitute a safer, ‘in situ’, and easier to handle way of ensuring food safety.

PubMed 18237810

Page Updated: May 2013