Two-step washing with commercial vegetable washing solutions, and electrolyzed oxidizing microbubbles water to decontaminate sweet basil and Thai mint: A case study

A study was conducted on pre-washing vegetables with four different kinds of surfactant in the washing solution, followed by an acidic electrolyzed oxidizing microbubbles water (AEO-MB) to compare their efficacy on the decontamination of E. coli and S. Typhimurium on sweet basil and Thai mint. Three commercial surfactants (0.1% v/v) and Tween 80® were applied in pre-washing with a constant rate of shaking at 60 rpm for 3 min, then washed with 40 mg/L of AEO, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) 1130-1180 mV and pH 2.8-3.1, under the continuous generation of MB for 5 min. All surfactants showed no antimicrobial activity but greater decontamination (99.0-99.9%) was observed when two-step washing was applied. Wash water with AEO indicated the absence of microorganisms thus helping to prevent cross-contamination. Our study revealed that pre-washing helped to improve the washing efficacy and to enhance the food safety of sweet basil and Thai mint and the treatment may be suitable for application with household or commercial ready-to-eat produce.