Integrating quantitative chemical and microbial risk assessments to optimise the disinfection of fresh products

The fellowship, titled 'Integrating quantitative chemical and microbial risk assessments to optimize the disinfection of fresh products' was implemented at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece). The fellowship aimed to provide practical training on the quantitative chemical risk assessment of emulsified nano-components used for washing fresh vegetables. This is motivated by the fact that, although a washing step is essential for the safety of fresh vegetables, chlorine-based solutions may have negative effects on the health of workers and consumers. Nanoemulsified d-limonene can thus present an alternative solution with fewer side effects. The fellowship focused in the chemical risk assessment of d-limonene residues after washing. This fellowship provided the fellow with the necessary skills in risk assessment and taught him mass spectrometry techniques for sample analysis.