Nanoscale food protection

Excerpt

Consumption of food contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins leads to a host of diseases resulting in serious economic and public health consequences. Some 48 million people in the US annually succumb to foodborne diseases with the hospitalization of 128,000 and death to 3000 people. Pathogenic microorganisms can contaminate fruits and vegetables during the passage through their extensive production chain from field production, intermediate handling, distribution, to food industry, and home utilization. Current disinfection techniques include: chlorine/hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium salts, ozone, and UV irradiation. A new technology exhibits inactivation of microorganisms on fresh produce, and food production surfaces to be controlled by water nanostructures generated by electrospraying water vapor. The intervention method utilizes engineered water nanostructures (EWNS) formed in an electrospray with unique properties as a diameter of 25 nm, involving reactive oxygen species, a strong surface charge of 10e/structure, and can be airborne for hours indoors. The electrospray module consisted of an electrostatic precipitator commonly used to aerosolize particles and functionally designed to deliver EWNS to surfaces. …