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

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.

Rain splash-mediated dispersal of from fecal deposits to field-grown lettuce in the mid- and south Atlantic U.S. regions is affected by mulch type.

Introduction: Wildlife feces can contaminate vegetables when enteric bacteria are released by rain and splashed onto crops. Regulations require growers to identify and not harvest produce that is likely contaminated, but U.S.