Just washing your hands isn't enough.
The American public is getting far too familiar with E. Coli bacteria, after food scares in several states and some product recalls. Employees in every restaurant and food-related business in the country are carefully trained to always wash their hands before returning to work, but there are other problems related to food safety.
It turns out the e. coli bacteria is immune to any single weapon in the food safety arsenal, according to food scientists at the University of Illinois.
The researchers, who work with a number of treatment techniques, such as ozone, high-intensity ultrasound, electrolyzed water, irradiation, and temperature, say no treatment can singlehandedly reduce the number of pathogens sufficiently to meet the standards set by the FDA.
The problem is complicated, said one scientist: "Obviously maintaining quality is a real challenge because if you do anything very harsh to something like spinach or lettuce, the product won’t be acceptable even if it’s pathogen-free."
However, in a "groundbreaking study" at the University of Minnesota, Russian scientists have developed a unique water-based electrochemical activation system that disinfects, cleans food, and wipes out E. coli. Not only that, it won't cause deterioration or off-flavors when sprayed on food. The system is environmentally friendly; its only outputs are water and salt.
The solution can be sprayed directly onto foods such as vegetables, destroying bacteria like the E. coli strain responsible for the spinach/green onion outbreaks.
"The results we're seeing are phenomenal," said one researcher. "It's killing all bacteria and viruses. It even kills avian flu and anthrax spores."
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