Abstract
‘Electrolyzed water’ generators are readily available in the food industry as a renewable source of hypochlorous acid that eliminates the need for workers to handle hazardous hypochlorite concentrates. We applied electrolyzed water (EW) directly to multi-strain cocktails of Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella sp. at 250 ppm free available chlorine (FAC) and achieved greater than 6-log reductions in 2 min. Lower EW values were examined as antimicrobial interventions for fresh meat (beef carcasses), processed meats (frankfurters), and food contact surfaces (slicing blades). Little or no reduction relative to controls was observed when generic E. coli-inoculated beef carcasses or L. monocytogenes-inoculated frankfurters were showered with EW. Spray application of EW (25 and 250-ppm FAC) onto L. monocytogenes-inoculated slicing blades showed that greater reductions were obtained with ‘clean’ (3.6 and 5.7-log reduction) vs. ‘dirty’ (0.6 and 3.3-log reduction) slicing blades, respectively. Trials with L. monocytogenes-inoculated protein-EW solutions demonstrated that protein content as low as 0.1% is capable of eliminating FAC, reducing antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes. EW appears better positioned as a surface sanitizer with minimal organic material that can otherwise act as an effective reducing agent to the oxidizing solution rendering it ineffective.
Highlights
The safety of fresh and processed meat products is no longer dependent solely on the sanitary practices of processors
In this paper we examine the application of electrolyzed water (EW) on raw and processed meats vs. food contact or equipment surfaces and provide data suggesting that EW may be better positioned as an environmental surface sanitizer than as a meat-contact sanitizer
Strains of L. monocytogenes used in this study included four that are moderately adherent to abiotic surfaces [L. monocytogenes 39-2, V7-2, 383-2, and Scott A-2] and four that are strongly adherent to abiotic surfaces [L. monocytogenes 99-38, CW62, CW50, and CW77] [32]
Summary
The safety of fresh and processed meat products is no longer dependent solely on the sanitary practices of processors. Antimicrobials, such as organic acids and sodium hypochlorite, are commonly used antimicrobial agents in the fresh meat and poultry industries [2,3,4]. The processed meat industry commonly uses lactate and diacetate that have been shown to be effective when used together against foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes [5,6,7]. The U.S Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) ‘safe and suitable’ ingredient list includes ‘electrolytically generated hypochlorous acid’ [8]. Generated hypochlorous acid is generally referred to as ‘electrolyzed water (EW)’ or ‘electrochemically activated (ECA) water’ within the processing industry. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is the acidic equilibrium chemical variant of hypochlorite (OCl ) that exists as the predominant species below pH 6.6–6.8 and is considered more reactive than hypochlorite, both are strong
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