Journal
RISK ANALYSIS
Volume 42, Issue 5, Pages 966-988Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/risa.13818
Keywords
Chlorine; cross-contamination; leafy greens
Categories
Funding
- Goldbelt C6, LLC [HHFS223201710033I]
- DOE [1117-000273]
- Versar Inc. [HHSF223201700015B]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The use of chlorine-based antimicrobial substances in wash water significantly impacts the prevalence of contaminated fresh-cut lettuce packages and the associated risk of illness due to E. coli O157:H7. The required level of free chlorine to minimize water-mediated cross-contamination and reduce the corresponding risk of illness depends on contamination prevalence and levels of E. coli O157:H7 on incoming lettuce heads. The pathogen inactivation rate in wash water via free chlorine is a key parameter that affects the extent of cross-contamination during washing and the predicted associated risk of illness.
Addition of chlorine-based antimicrobial substances to fresh-cut leafy green wash water is done to minimize microbial cross-contamination during processing. We developed the FDA Leafy Green Risk Assessment Model (FDA-LGRAM) to quantify the impact of free chlorine concentration in wash water during fresh-cut lettuce processing on the extent of water-mediated cross-contamination between shredded lettuce and the associated risk of illness due to exposure to Escherichia coli O157:H7. At different contamination prevalence and levels of E. coli O157:H7 on incoming lettuce heads, the model compared the predicted prevalence of contaminated fresh-cut lettuce packages and the risk of illness per serving between: (1) a scenario where fresh-cut lettuce was packaged without washing; and (2) scenarios involving washing fresh-cut lettuce with different levels of free chlorine (0 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 15 ppm, and 20 ppm) prior to packaging. Our results indicate that the free chlorine level in wash water has a substantial impact on the predicted prevalence of contaminated fresh-cut lettuce packages and the risk of illness associated with E. coli O157:H7 in fresh-cut lettuce. Results showed that the required level of free chlorine that can minimize water-mediated cross-contamination and reduce the corresponding risk of illness depended on contamination prevalence and levels of E. coli O157:H7 on incoming lettuce heads. Our model also indicated that the pathogen inactivation rate in wash water via free chlorine was a key model parameter that had a significant impact on the extent of cross-contamination during washing and the predicted associated risk of illness.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available