METHOD FOR SANITIZING FRESH PRODUCE

• US 20160021903A1
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bud Antle, Inc. (Dole Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc (Dole Plc)
• Inventors: DULL, Bob J., KHAIRULLAH, Abizer Moiz, DEERING, Amanda Jane, MIKOSHIBA, Yuki, BILLINGSLEY, Roger Dale, KAWABATA, Jessica Okane
• Granted Patent: US 10,993,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/10 Preserving with acids; Acid fermentation
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/153 in the form of liquids or solids
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/155 Microorganisms; Enzymes; Antibiotics
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/157 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/10 Preserving against microbes

Abstract

Provided herein, inter alia, is a method for sanitizing produce, by: treating the produce with a catholyte solution for a period of time sufficient to sanitize the produce; treating the produce with a solution containing chlorine for a period of time sufficient to further sanitize the produce; and treating the produce with a solution containing peroxyacetic acid for a period of time sufficient to further sanitize the produce, where treating with the catholyte solution, the solution containing chlorine, and the solution containing peroxyacetic acid yields at least an additional 1 log unit reduction in microbial load, as compared to produce treated with a single solution selected from the catholyte solution, the solution containing chlorine, and the solution containing peroxyacetic acid.

Claims

1. A method for sanitizing produce, the method comprising:

treating the produce with a catholyte solution for a period of time sufficient to de-soil the produce;

treating the produce with a solution comprising free available chlorine for a period of time sufficient to sanitize the produce; and

treating the produce with a solution comprising peroxyacetic acid for a period of time sufficient to further sanitize the produce,

wherein treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid yields at least an additional 1 log unit reduction in microbial load, as compared to produce treated with a single solution selected from the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein treating with the catholyte solution occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine or occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein treating with the catholyte solution occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine, and treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein treating with the catholyte solution occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid, and treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid occurs prior to treating with the catholyte solution or occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein treating with the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid occurs prior to treating with the catholyte solution.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein treating with the catholyte solution occurs prior to treating with the solution comprising free available chlorine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the solution comprising free available chlorine is an anolyte solution.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising treating the produce with a second solution comprising free available chlorine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid yields an additional log unit reduction in microbial load that ranges from 1.5 to 6, as compared to produce treated with a single solution selected from the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid yields an increase in shelf-life of the produce, as compared to produce treated with a single solution selected from the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising sonicating the produce or treating the produce with a pulsed electric field before, concurrently, or after treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid, and/or the second solution comprising free available chlorine.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising treating the produce with an anolyte solution or with ozone before, concurrently, or after treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid, and/or the second solution comprising free available chlorine.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the catholyte solution further comprises anolyte, ozone, or a sanitizer selected from the group consisting of peroxyacetic acid, free available chlorine, chlorine dioxide, an alcohol, peroxide, and an ammonia-based sanitizer.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the produce is selected from the group consisting of a vegetable, a leafy vegetable, lettuce, spinach, a ground plant, sprouts, a squash, a melon, a gourd, a fruit, a berry, a nut, a drupe, an achene, and any combination thereof.

20. A sanitized produce prepared by the method of claim 1.

9. A method for sanitizing produce, the method comprising:

treating the produce with a catholyte solution to yield a catholyte treated produce;

treating the catholyte treated produce with a solution comprising free available chlorine to yield a chlorine treated produce; and

treating the chlorine treated produce with a solution comprising peroxyacetic acid to yield sanitized produce,

wherein treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid yields at least an additional 1 log unit reduction in microbial load, as compared to produce treated with a single solution selected from the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the solution comprising peroxyacetic acid.

14. A method for sanitizing produce, the method comprising:

treating the produce with a catholyte solution to yield a catholyte treated produce;

treating the catholyte treated produce with a solution comprising free available chlorine to yield a chlorine treated produce; and

treating the chlorine treated produce with a second solution comprising free available chlorine to yield sanitized produce,

wherein treating with the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine, and the second solution comprising free available chlorine yields at least an additional 1 log unit reduction in microbial load, as compared to produce treated with a single solution selected from the catholyte solution, the solution comprising free available chlorine and the second solution comprising free available chlorine.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the solution comprising free available chlorine is an anolyte solution, the second solution comprising free available chlorine is an anolyte solution, or both the solution comprising free available chlorine and the second solution comprising free available chlorine are anolyte solutions.