Abstract
ABSTRACT Vegetable sanitization protocols recommend the use of chlorine, which has adverse effects on the environment and carcinogenic effects on humans. Acetic acid is an interesting alternative to chlorine because it possesses no risk to human health and is widely available in the form of vinegar. This study aimed to evaluate the sanitizing action of vinegar, 130 g L-1 total titratable acidity expressed as acetic acid, on lettuce. Vinegar was chosen because it is a low-cost product widely available in the Brazilian market. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of vinegar against Escherichia coli were 2.5 and 15 g L-1 total acidity, respectively. Lettuce leaves artificially contaminated with E. coli or naturally contaminated with total coliforms were washed with water and immersed in vinegar solution (15 g L-1 total acidity) for 15 min. This period was sufficient to reduce E. coli counts in artificially contaminated samples and total coliforms in naturally contaminated samples. There were no visual changes in lettuce leaves, which indicates that vinegar at 15 g L-1 total acidity can be used to sanitize vegetables without affecting their appearance.
Highlights
Protocolos de sanitização de hortaliças utilizam cloro, que apresenta efeitos adversos sobre o meio ambiente e na produção de compostos cancerígenos
The concentrations of triple-strength vinegar, alcohol vinegar, and cereal vinegar used for determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, and 40.0 g L-1 total titratable acidity expressed as acetic acid
The addition of 5 mL of brain heart infusion (BHI) after 15 min of exposure of the E. coli inoculum to vinegar was essential for the determination of MIC and MBC values
Summary
Protocolos de sanitização de hortaliças utilizam cloro, que apresenta efeitos adversos sobre o meio ambiente e na produção de compostos cancerígenos. O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a ação do fermentado acético de álcool com 130 g L-1 de acidez total, expressa em ácido acético, para uso na sanitização de alfaces. Acetic acid, produced by fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria, may be an alternative to chlorine in food sanitization. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar and can be produced by Acetobacter spp. fermentation of fruit must, honey, cereals, hydroalcoholic mixtures, and vegetables (Spinosa et al, 2015). According to Brazilian legislation, the product of acetic fermentation of a hydroalcoholic mixture containing potable ethanol of agricultural origin is denominated alcohol vinegar. The product of acetic fermentation of ethanol produced from one or more cereals is denominated cereal vinegar (BRASIL, 2012)
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