A review of fresh produce outbreaks, current interventions, food safety concerns and potential benefits of novel antimicrobial sodium acid sulfate

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive literature review of the growing significance that foodborne pathogens have on the produce supply and the steps that are taken to reduce them. The numbers of illnesses that are caused by contaminated produce are rising steadily. Three of the most common pathogens that have been seen to cause significant illness in humans through produce are Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. The antimicrobial interventions, practices and antimicrobials that are currently the most commonly used by the food industry are examined. The literature shows that these antimicrobials currently in use have significant drawbacks when it comes to their role in the produce industry. Sensitivities to temperature and organic load and the production of harmful by products are some of these drawbacks. There is a need for a new antimicrobial that can be used in the produce processing industry. One that maintains its efficacy through the temperature, pH, and organic load changes that are experienced during produce processing. Sodium acid sulfate is a potential contender for this role. It has not previously been used or extensively studied as an antimicrobial, but is already deemed generally recognized as safe (GRAS) product by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The use of an antimicrobial that can withstand the varying conditions that the produce industry constantly has is imperative to reducing the number of foodborne illness caused every year by contaminated produce.