Using Ultrasound to Slash E. coli in Spinach

URBANA, Ill.Using ultrasound exposure during chlorine washing significantly reduces the number of E. coli 0157:H7 cells on spinach leaves and gives the food industry a way to significantly enhance microbial safety, according to a new study published in the journal Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies.

Researchers at the University of Illinois found by combining continuous ultrasound treatment with chlorine washing, they could reduce the total number of foodborne pathogenic bacteria by over 99.99%. The researchers have used the technique on iceberg and romaine lettuce, as well as spinach, with similar results.

Hao Feng, a U of I professor of food science and human nutrition, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking for proposed technologies that can achieve a 4- to 6-log reduction in pathogen cells (a 6-log reduction would achieve a millionfold reduction in pathogenic bacteria). The food processing industry can now achieve a 1-log or tenfold reduction. In comparison, the U of I technique yields a 4-log reduction.

Combining technologies is the key to bridging the gap between our current capacity and what USDA would like to see. The use of ultrasound exposure during chlorine washing gives the industry a way to significantly enhance microbial safety," he said.

Fengs pilot-scale system uses three pairs of large-area ultrasonic transducer boxes to form a channel through which ultrasound is provided to spinach leaves that are undergoing a continuous-flow chlorine wash. Spatial uniformity of ultrasound distribution was confirmed by tests using metallic foil. He said continuous flow and uniformity of the field are key elements in the success of the process. Previous work with ultrasound used a tank or a medical-style probe, which doesnt provide consistent and even distribution.

Placement of the produce as it makes its way through the channel turns out to be very important. We had to find ways to make sure that leaves received similar exposure to ultrasound, taking care to minimize the chance that one leaf would block a nearby leafs exposure to the sound waves," he said, adding even part of a leaf escaped the full ultrasonic treatment, it could contaminate the rest of the produce.