Development of novel peroxide-based, broad-spectrum antimicrobial complex for whole and fresh-cut produce applications

PROJECT SUMMARYProblem and opportunityDue to the customer demand for convenience and healthy choices the market for pre-cut producehas been growing significantly. However this value-added produce is prone to significant microbialrisks leading to an alarming number of recalls in recent years. Since post-harvest washing is criticalfor mitigating this problem several produce processors have encouraged us to develop a moreeffective and convenient disinfectant that can be approved by the FDA for safe direct food contactand no-rinse applications.With the assistance of Rutgers University we evaluated several ideas to develop new disinfectantsto meet the needs of the produce industry. Consequently we identified a promising idea ofdeveloping an innovative food-grade disinfectant by stabilizing H O and thymol in chitosan/citric2 2acid complex. This disinfectant is highly effective against a broad spectrum of pathogenic andspoilage microorganisms and it is food-grade environmentally friendly and easy to handle andstore—none of the commercially available disinfectants has all these qualities.Project objectives and effortsThis proposed project addresses Research Priority 1: "Food safety" in Topic Area 8.5 Food Scienceand Nutrition by developing a food-grade antimicrobial disinfectant (FAD) powder to mitigatefoodborne hazards during post-harvest processing and distribution of fresh produce. The FADconsisting of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and thymol in a safe easy-to-use powder form will beresidue free and provide a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Its goal is to ensure food safetyminimize recalls and promote healthy fresh produce consumption.The objective of Phase I is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of developing the FAD and toimprove the market strategy. The sub-objectives are to (1) optimize the H O powder complex to2 2 obtain high loading of H2O2 (2) determine the optimal concentration and usage level of the FADformulation (3) test the bio-efficacy of the formulation and (4) collaborate with our partners andthe produce industry to improve the technical feasibility and commercial viability of our product.Anticipated results and potential commercial applicationsWith the assistance of Rutgers University and our industry partners we expect to be able todemonstrate the technical feasibility of our innovation as well as to improve the commercialviability of the product so that we can move on to Phase II shortly after the completion of Phase I.The participation of the produce industry will help build confidence and promote early adoption bythe industry.A market driver of our FAD is to provide consumers with safe and healthy foods and to provideprocessors with convenience fewer product recalls higher revenues and higher profits. Anothermarket driver is sustainability through clean labels organic use and reduced packaging/storageneeds. In the future we also plan to use our technology to develop disinfectants for other marketssuch as health care personal care textile and wastewater treatment.