New U.S. invention kills food-borne pathogens in minutes

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from University of Georgia have developed a new technology that can rapidly reduce contamination of dangerous bacteria on food, the university announced Wednesday.

    The new antimicrobial wash uses a combination of ingredients that kills bacteria within one to five minutes from application.

    It can be used as a spray and immersion solution and can rapidly kill Salmonella and E. coli on foods ranging from fragile lettuce to tomatoes, fruits, poultry products and meats.

    It is made from inexpensive and readily available ingredients that are recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the university's statement. "The new technology will have commercial application for the produce, poultry, meat and egg processing industries."

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, in the U.S. alone, food-borne pathogens are responsible for 76 million illnesses every year. Of the people affected by those illnesses, 300,000 are hospitalized and more than 5,000 die.

    Currently, a chlorine wash is frequently used in a variety of ways to reduce harmful bacteria levels on vegetables, fruits and poultry, but because of chlorine's sensitivity to food components and extraneous materials released in chlorinated water treatments, many bacteria survive. Chlorine is toxic at high concentrations, may produce off-flavors and undesirable appearance of certain food products, and it can only be used in conjunction with specialized equipment and trained personnel.

    "We can't rely on chlorine to eliminate pathogens on foods," said Michael Doyle, one of the new technology's inventors. "This new technology is effective, safe for consumers and food processing plant workers, and does not affect the appearance or quality of the product."