2 New Food-Safe Technologies That Fully Kill Pathogens | Episode 96

In episode 96 of Don't Eat POOP! A Food Safety Podcast, Matthew Regusci and I are wrapping up the year by discussing the produce industry and how the shocking number of produce recalls in 2024 clearly shows that what they’re doing is far from working.

We talk about this year’s outbreaks and explore new food-safe technologies that can address the problem, such as Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and electric shocks, which can kill foodborne pathogens.

We also share some insights into the podcast and some of the amazing results from one more year of Don’t Eat Poop!

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE.

In this episode:

• [01:08] The upcoming 100th episode
• [02:09] Wearing poop-free disposable gloves and setting an example
• [05:09] Francine’s poopy salad dilemma
• [09:21] 2024’s worst outbreak
• [09:55] We never know the real numbers of an outbreak
• [12:09] Vendors must also be held accountable for outbreaks
• [13:41] The importance of food safety compliance software
• [15:49] The current lettuce E. coli outbreak
• [16:46] What the produce industry is doing wrong
• [17:34] 2 new food-safe technologies that fully kill pathogens
• [19:33] Francine, the youngest old person out there
• [21:42] Salad ingredients that have been recalled in 2024
• [25:18] Coming up with content for Don’t Eat Poop!
• [26:21] Concerns from when Matt and Francine started the podcast
• [30:02] Some amazing results from one more year of Don’t Eat Poop!
• [31:35] The poop-free salad might have to wait

How produce is cleaned before it hits the shelf

It depends.

If it's just bulk produce, they don't clean it. They just cut it, stick it into the box, and send it out.

If it's processed produce, then it depends on the processing. The produce can go through a combination of dunk tanks and spray bars as it’s going through the process.

Clearly, this is not working. Going back 6 months on the 2024 list of recalls, I counted 19 different recalls from the produce aisle due to either an outbreak or testing issue. They include:

- Lettuce 🍃

- Mixed Greens 🥬

- Salad Kits 🥗

- Spinach 🌱

- Arugula 🥗

- Sprouts 🌱 

- Cherry Tomatoes 🍅

- Avocado 🥑

- Carrots 🥕

- Cucumbers 🥒

- Green Onions 🧅

- Celery 🥬

- Green Peppers 🌶️

- Mushrooms 🍄

- Eggs 🥚

- Raisins 🍇

- Jalapenos 🌶️

- Nuts or Seeds 🌰 (Walnuts and Chia seeds)

- Vegetable Kits 🥗

This is unacceptable. These food safety breaches are 100% preventable. Especially because there are new food-safe technologies that kill foodborne pathogens without altering the product’s quality.

Let’s explore two of them.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl)

This is a new and better way to disinfect and sanitize foods and surfaces.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) has gained significant attention in recent years, becoming more widely known (and used) as a powerful, versatile disinfectant and sanitizer.

Pre-washing produce with HOCl gets rid of dirt, feces, and other contaminants that could sicken consumers. HOCl is non-toxic and 80-100x more potent than bleach.

When compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants, HOCI is often considered the preferred choice because of its significant benefits: 

• Effective against pathogens. HOCl is highly effective at killing harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It’s particularly effective against common foodborne pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, Norovirus, and Listeria.
• Safe and eco-friendly. HOCl is non-toxic, sustainable, and safe for use on food products. Unlike some other sanitizers that may leave harmful residues, HOCl breaks down into simple saltwater after use, posing no risk to consumers or the environment.
• Chemical-free. HOCl doesn’t contain the harsh chemicals found in many traditional sanitizers, making it safer for workers handling it. Unlike other sanitizers, it reduces the chemical contamination risks for food.
• Rinse-free. Since HOCl doesn’t need to be rinsed off surfaces or food products, it saves time, effort, and water. This is a significant advantage in restaurant and food processing environments, where speed and efficiency are crucial.
• Odorless and tasteless. HOCl doesn’t leave any odor or taste behind, which is essential for maintaining food quality and characteristics.
• HOCI is compliant with CDC, FDA, and EPA regulations.

That’s why using HOCl is a no-brainer, and it should be adopted throughout the produce industry.

If you want to learn more about Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), check out this article I wrote with Morten Larsen, CEO & Founder of EcoloxTech, and explore EcoloxTech.com.

Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF)

Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing is a non-thermal food processing method that uses short bursts of high voltage-electric pulses on foods to achieve desired microbial inactivation or modification of food structure.

This happens because the pulses rupture the cell membranes of vegetative microorganisms by creating pores or by expanding existing pores (electroporation). The ruptures cause leak of intracellular contents, resulting in the concomitant loss of cellular metabolic activity such as growth and division, thus causing microbial inactivation (Buckow, Ng, and Toepfl 2013).

Depending on the application’s objective, solid, semi-liquid, and liquid foods can be treated. When the goal is cell disintegration in plant or animal tissue, there are practically no size limitations.

This technique can be applied to whole fruits, vegetables, potato tubers, as well as to pieces of fruits or vegetables and their mashes, prior to separation processes.

The benefits of utilizing this method:

• Preserves quality. PEF-processed foods retain better nutritional values and have an extended shelf life compared to those processed through traditional methods. 
• Improves extraction. PEF enhances the extraction rates of juices, sugars, colorants, and other active compounds. Juice and oil extraction yields are increased.
• Reduces food waste. PEF can significantly reduce food waste. 
• Energy efficient: PEF is instantaneous, precise, adaptable, and energy-efficient.
• Saves time during processing. It accelerates diffusion processes such as the removal of water from plant or animal tissues and the absorption of marinades, spices, and auxiliary substances. This acceleration results in valuable time savings during production processes.

To learn more about PEF, check out this FAQ about Pulsed Electric Field Processing.

🥗 We know that our industry hates change, but things cannot go on as they are. Share these new technologies with your food safety colleagues. Maybe as more people become aware of how effective and easy to use these solutions are, fewer outbreaks will happen.

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" podcast on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

#FoodSafety #Food #FoodSafetyAndHygiene #HOCl #PEF #SafeProduce