Assessing a new technique for ensuring fresh produce remains
Salmonella-free 17 September 2012 Researchers at the Institute
of Food Research have tested a new technique to ensure fresh
produce is free of bacterial contamination. Salmonella 'hiding'
in a pore on the surface of a lettuce leaf. Plasmas are a mix of
highly energetic particles created when gases are excited by an
energy source. They can be used to destroy bacteria but as new
research shows, some can hide from its effects in the
microscopic surface structures of different foods. Eating fresh
fruit and vegetables is promoted as part of a healthy lifestyle,
and consumers are responding to this by eating more and in a
greater variety. Ensuring fruit and vegetables are free from
contamination by food poisoning bacteria is crucial, as they are
often eaten raw, without cooking or processing that kills off
bacteria. A move away from current chlorine-based
decontamination is driving the search for new, safe ways of
ensuring fresh fruit and vegetables are f