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. 2019 Oct 14;8(10):497.
doi: 10.3390/foods8100497.

Disinfection Efficacy of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water Combined with Chemical Treatments on Fresh Fruits at the Industrial Scale

Xiuqin Chen  1 , Charles Nkufi Tango  2   3 , Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri  4 , Seong-Yoon Oh  5   6 , Deog-Hwan Oh  7
Affiliations

Disinfection Efficacy of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water Combined with Chemical Treatments on Fresh Fruits at the Industrial Scale

Xiuqin Chen et al. Foods. .

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) combined with fumaric acid (FA) and calcium oxide (CaO) treatment on the microbial disinfection of fresh fruits including apple, mandarin, and tomato at the industrial scale. The combined treatments can significantly (p < 0.05) reduce the population of natural microbiota from the fruit surfaces and the treated samples showed good sensory qualities during refrigeration storage. In addition, decontamination of inoculated foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes) was carried out in the laboratory, and the combined treatments resulted in a reduction ranging from 2.85 to 5.35 log CFU/fruit, CaO followed by SAEW+FA treatment that resulted in significantly higher reduction than for SAEW+FA treatment. The technology developed by this study has been used in a fresh fruit industry and has greatly improved the quality of the products. These findings suggest that the synergistic properties of the combination of SAEW, FA, and CaO could be used in the fresh fruit industry as an effective sanitizer.

Keywords: combined treatments; fruits storage; inactivation; slightly acidic electrolyzed water.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Industrial-scale sequential treatment line developed at Nette Company. Each kind of fruit was separated into three groups. The first group of fresh samples (2 kg) was washed in a treatment tank containing 180 L of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) combined with 0.5% (w/v) fumaric acid (FA) (FA+SAEW) for 3 min at room temperature (RT, 23 °C) and then rinsed with tap water for 1 min. For the second group, the fresh samples (2 kg) were dipped in 180 L of CaO for 3 min, and followed with the first round treatment. In the third group, samples were washed in 180 L of tap water for 5 min and this group served as control. After the treatments, autoclaved towel tissues were used to wipe off excess chemical solution or tap water from the surface of treated samples. The fruits were individually packed in sterile stomacher bag and transported to the laboratory under low temperature for microbiological analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Natural microbiota reduction on different fresh fruits washed with tap water (TW), fumaric acid combined with SAEW (FA+SAEW), and calcium oxide followed by combination (CaO-FA+SAEW). (A) Total aerobic bacteria; (B) total coliforms; (C) yeast and mold. Vertical bars represent standard error of the mean (n = 3), different letters in the same group indicate a significant (p < 0.05) treatment effect.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The growth of total aerobic bacteria on fruits during storage at 4 °C after different treatments. TW: Tap water; FA+SAEW: Combination of FA and SAEW treatment; CaO-FA+SAEW: Calcium oxide washing followed by combination of FA+SAEW treatment. Red line represents the end of shelf-life. (A) Apple; (B) mandarin; (C) tomato. Vertical bars represent standard error of the mean (n = 3).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The growth of total coliforms on fruits during storage at 4 °C after different treatments. TW: Tap water; FA+SAEW: Combination of FA and SAEW treatment; CaO-FA+SAEW: Calcium oxide washing followed by combination of FA+SAEW treatment. Red line represents the end of shelf-life. (A) Apple; (B) mandarin; (C) tomato. Vertical bars represent standard error of the mean (n = 3).
Figure 5
Figure 5
The growth of yeast and mold on fruits during storage at 4 °C after different treatments. TW: Tap water; FA+SAEW: Combination of FA and SAEW treatment; CaO-FA+SAEW: Calcium oxide washing followed by combination of FA+SAEW treatment. Red line represents the end of shelf-life. (A) Apple; (B) mandarin; (C) tomato. Vertical bars represent standard error of the mean (n = 3).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Pathogen reduction on different fruits washed with Tap water (TW), fumaric acid combined with SAEW (FA+SAEW), and calcium oxide followed by combined FA with SAEW treatment (CaO-FA+SAEW). (A) E. coli O157:H7; (B) L. monocytogenes. Vertical bars represent standard error of the mean (n = 3), different letters in the same group indicate a significant (p < 0.05) treatment effect.
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