SAFE SANITIZERS FOR CONTROL OF PATHOGENS ON RAW FOOD

THE LONG-TERM AIMS ARE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE SANITIZERS FOR THE DECONTAMINATION OF RAW FOOD PRODUCTS TO PREVENT FOOD-BORNE INFECTIONS AND TO EXTEND THE SHELF-LIFE OF THESE PRODUCTS. PRESENTLY AVAILABLE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL SANITIZERS ARE EITHER NOT SAFE, AS THEY MAY RESULT INTOXIC RESIDUES IN FOOD, OR THE AGENTS ARE NOT READILY ACCEPTED (RADIATION) FOR USE ON FOOD SURFACES. RAW FOOD SUCH AS VEGETABLES, FRUITS, EGGS, FISH, MEAT AND POULTRY POSE SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARDS WHEN CONTAMINATED WITH PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS SUCH AS S. TYPHIMURIUM, L. MONOCYTOGENES AND A. HYDROPHILIA. MICROCIDE PLANS TO DEVELOP A SAFE SANITIZING FORMULATIONS BY USING FOOD ADDITIVE OR GRAS (GENERALLY REGARDED AS SAFE) CHEMICAL INGREDIENTS WHICH DISPLAY RAPID ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES UNDER CERTAIN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CONDITIONS. THESE CHEMICAL INGREDIENTS WILL BE INCORPORATED IN FORMULATIONS UNDER THE ACTIVATING CONDITIONS TO PREPARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SANITIZERS. WE FURTHER PLAN TO EVLAUATE THE EFFICACY OF THESE SANITIZERS TOREDUCE THE POPULATION OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA FROM LABORATORY CONTAMINATED RAW FOOD PRODUCTS SUCH AS VEGETABLES.