CO Laser-labeling on Fresh Produce: Evaluating Postharvest Quality, Microbial Safety, and Economic Analysis.

Fresh produce is traditionally labeled with plastic price lookup (PLU) stickers that are attached to the produce surface using edible glue. However, both the stickers and glue are environmental contaminants, and the stickers can still easily detach from the produce surface during handling and disrupt traceability. An alternative method of labeling, the CO laser-labeling technology (LLT), has been gaining attention in recent years.

Shiga Toxin-Producing in the Long-Term Survival Phase Exhibit Higher Chlorine Tolerance and Less Sublethal Injury Following Chlorine Treatment of Romaine Lettuce.

The extent of chlorine inactivation and sublethal injury of stationary-phase (STAT) and long-term survival-phase (LTS) cells of Shiga toxinproducing (STEC) and in a lettuce postharvest wash model was investigated. Four STEC strains were cultured in tryptic soy broth supplemented with 0.6% (w/v) yeast extract (TSBYE; 35°C) for 24 h and 21 d to obtain STAT and LTS cells, respectively.

Determining the Potential Food Safety Risks Associated with Dropped Produce on Floor Surfaces in Grocery Stores.

Abstract: Grocery stores handle fresh produce in large quantities daily. According to the Food and Drug Administration Food Code, food is to be stored at least 15 cm above the floor, and all foods shall be protected from any source of contamination or otherwise discarded. It is reported in the literature that dropped produce could be a potential source of microbial contamination.

Ultraviolet inactivation of bacteria and model viruses in coconut water using a collimated beam system.

This study investigated the effect of ultraviolet-C irradiation on the inactivation of microorganisms in coconut water, a highly opaque liquid food (1.01 ± 0.018 absorption coefficient).

UV-C Irradiation on the Quality of Green Tea: Effect on Catechins, Antioxidant Activity, and Cytotoxicity.

Unlabelled: Short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) irradiation is a nonthermal processing technique that is a possible alternative to the heat-pasteurization of tea beverages. This study investigated the effect of UV-C irradiation on the polyphenolic and total phenolic contents of a green tea beverage and analyzed cytotoxicity of irradiated green tea using a novel continuous flow-through UV system. UV-C fluence levels ranging from 0 to 240 mJ/cm were delivered to green tea, and polyphenols were chemically profiled.

Microbial inactivation and cytotoxicity evaluation of UV irradiated coconut water in a novel continuous flow spiral reactor.

Unlabelled: A continuous-flow UV reactor operating at 254nm wave-length was used to investigate inactivation of microorganisms including bacteriophage in coconut water, a highly opaque liquid food. UV-C inactivation kinetics of two surrogate viruses (MS2, T1UV) and three bacteria (E. coli ATCC 25922, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 13311, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115) in buffer and coconut water were investigated (D values ranging from 2.