Efficacy of antimicrobials for the disinfection of pathogen contaminated green bell pepper and of consumer cleaning methods for the decontamination of knives

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology Vol. 156; no. 1; pp. 76 - 82
• Main Authors: Perez, Keila L., Lucia, Lisa M., Cisneros-Zevallos, Luis, Castillo, Alejandro, Taylor, T. Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Alcohol; alcohols; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobials; Capsicum - microbiology; Colony Count, Microbial; Colony-forming cells; Consumers; Cooking and Eating Utensils; Cotton; Decontamination; Detergents; Detergents - pharmacology; Disinfectants - pharmacology; Disinfection; Disinfection - methods; Distilled water; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli O157 - drug effects; Escherichia coli O157:H7; Ethanol; Ethanol - pharmacology; Food contamination; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - pharmacology; Kitchens; Pathogens; Produce; Salmonella enterica; Salmonella enterica - drug effects; Vegetables; Water - pharmacology; Salmonella enterica; Antimicrobials; Produce; Escherichia coli O157:H7; Consumers
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2012.03.012

While there is strong focus on eliminating pathogens from produce at a commercial level, consumers can employ simple methods to achieve additional pathogen reductions in the domestic kitchen. To determine the ability of antimicrobials to decontaminate peppers, samples of green bell pepper were inoculated with Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and then immersed in 3% (v/v) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 2.5% (v/v) acetic acid (AA), 70% (v/v) ethyl alcohol (EtOH), or sterile distilled water (SDW). The potential for transfer of pathogens from contaminated peppers to other non-contaminated produce items, and the effect of knife disinfection in preventing this cross contamination, were also tested. Knife disinfection procedures were evaluated by chopping inoculated peppers into 1cm2 pieces with kitchen knives. Experimental knives were then treated by either no treatment (control), wiping with a dry sterile cotton towel, rinsing under running warm water for 5 or 10s, or applying a 1% (v/v) lauryl sulfate-based detergent solution followed by rinsing with warm running water for 10s. Following disinfection treatment, knives were used to slice cucumbers. Exposure to H2O2 for 5min and EtOH for 1min resulted in reductions of 1.3±0.3 log10 CFU/cm2 for both pathogens. A 5min exposure to AA resulted in a reduction of S. enterica of 1.0±0.7 log10 CFU/cm2 and E. coli of 0.7±0.8 log10 CFU/cm2. No differences (p≥0.05) were found between numbers of pathogens on knives and numbers of pathogens transferred to cucumber slices, suggesting that organisms remaining on knife surfaces were transferred to cucumbers during slicing. Findings suggest that EtOH and H2O2 may be effective antimicrobials for in-home decontamination of peppers, and that use of detergent and warm water is effective for decontamination of implements used during meal preparation. ► Antimicrobials (p<0.05) reduced Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on peppers. ► Use of detergent inhibited transfer of pathogens from cutting knives to produce. ► Acetic acid, H2O2, and ethanol were effective in reducing pathogens on peppers. ► Knives can transmit pathogens between contaminated and non-contaminated produce.