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Microbubbles Remove Listeria monocytogenes from the Surface of Stainless Steel, Cucumber, and Avocado

Pengyu Chen1, Joseph Eifert1, Sunghwan Jung2

  • 1Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Microbubbles effectively detach Listeria monocytogenes from produce and surfaces. This low-intensity cavitation offers an economical and eco-friendly method for pathogen removal in food safety applications.

Area of Science:

  • Food science and technology
  • Microbiology
  • Environmental engineering

Background:

  • Bacterial contamination of fresh produce, like Listeria monocytogenes, poses a significant food safety risk.
  • Pathogens can contaminate produce during various stages, including harvesting, packaging, and transport.
  • Effective removal of Listeria monocytogenes from food contact surfaces and produce is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of low-intensity cavitation using microbubbles for detaching Listeria monocytogenes.
  • To assess microbubble performance on stainless steel, cucumber, and avocado surfaces.
  • To determine optimal microbubble application time for pathogen removal.

Main Methods:

  • Inoculation of stainless steel, cucumber, and avocado surfaces with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Application of microbubbles generated by injecting air into water via a bubble diffuser.
  • Quantification of pathogen reduction using log reduction values after varying treatment durations.

Main Results:

  • Microbubble treatment achieved a peak mean log reduction of 2.95 for Listeria monocytogenes on stainless steel after 10 minutes.
  • A mean log reduction of 1.78 for Listeria monocytogenes was observed on cucumbers after 10 minutes of microbubble treatment.
  • Avocado surfaces showed a peak mean log reduction of 1.65 for Listeria monocytogenes after 10 minutes of microbubble application.

Conclusions:

  • Microbubble cavitation is a promising method for removing Listeria monocytogenes from food contact surfaces.
  • This technique demonstrates potential for reducing bacterial pathogens on whole, intact fresh produce.
  • Microbubble applications present an effective, economical, and environmentally friendly food safety solution.
Keywords:
Listeria monocytogenesavocadoscavitation bubblescross-contaminationcucumberslisteriosis

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