Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39828401›Full record

ArticleJournal of food science2025

Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid in reducing cross-contamination during washing of baby spinach at different water quality levels.

Zhujun Gao, Aprajeeta Jha, Claire L Hudson, Adam L Hopper, Faith J Critzer, Shirley A Micallef, Donald W Schaffner, Rohan V Tikekar

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of food science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Zhujun GaoDepartment of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
Aprajeeta JhaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
Claire L HudsonDepartment of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
Adam L HopperDepartment of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
Faith J CritzerDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Shirley A MicallefDepartment of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
Donald W SchaffnerDepartment of Food Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9200-0400
Rohan V TikekarDepartment of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7915-3848

Funding

National Institute of Food and Agriculture
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We evaluated the antimicrobial performance of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and peracetic acid (PAA) during washing of baby spinach in water of varying levels of organic load, as measured by its chemical oxygen demand (COD). Escherichia coli TVS353 was spot inoculated onto one unwashed leaf. Sanitizers were added into water with preadjusted COD (300 or 2500 ppm) to achieve concentrations from 20 to 80 ppm. One inoculated leaf was washed with nine uninoculated leaves in 500 mL water (n = 6). Bacterial load on inoculated leaves was lowered by sanitizers in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05) and the lowest bacterial survivor levels were observed at 80 ppm with 2.7 ± 1.2 and 5.1 ± 0.5 Log MPN/leaf for PAA and NaOCl, respectively, at low CODs. PAA was more effective in reducing bacterial load from the inoculated leaf than NaOCl at high CODs (p < 0.05), with 2.9 ± 2.8 and 5.3 ± 0.8 Log MPN/leaf survivors for PAA and NaOCl, respectively. At 80 ppm sanitizer levels, the bacteria was not detected in wash water at any condition but was detected at 20 and 40 ppm at high CODs. The lowest levels of bacteria transferred to uninoculated leaves were observed at 80 ppm sanitizer, at 0.3 ± 0.2 and 0.2 ± 0.1 Log MPN/leaf for PAA and 1.1 ± 1.0 and 0.3 ± 0.3 Log MPN/leaf for NaOCl at low and high CODs, respectively. The log percentage of bacteria transferred ranged from -1.1 at 0 ppm to over -4.5 at 80 ppm, highlighting a reduction in cross-contamination by the sanitizers. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides effective data on sanitizer usage to fresh produce industry for ensuring food safety during washing of produce. It evaluated the sanitizer effect in a broad range of scenarios including various sanitizer concentrations, and wash water with low and high organic load that is common when recirculating wash water. The results also revealed the differences in two common sanitizers (PAA and NaOCl) in terms of their effectiveness.

Indexed as

DisinfectantsFood ContaminationPeracetic AcidSodium HypochloriteSpinacia oleraceaEscherichia coliFood HandlingFood MicrobiologyPlant LeavesWater QualityDisinfectantsPeracetic AcidSodium Hypochloriteantimicrobialfresh produceperacetic acidsodium hypochlorite

Identifiers

PMID39828401
PMCPMC11743063

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.