(Describer) Title: Liquid Sanitizing Plus Gaseous Sanitizing.

(narrator) Leafy greens are the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. About two million people are sickened each year. Commercial washing and sanitizing of greens tries to get rid of bacteria that cause sickness. Liquid sanitizing in chlorine solution is one common method of cleaning greens. Another, newer method is gaseous sanitizing, such as with ozone gas. How effective are these methods? Let's take a look at some spinach leaves with a normal bacterial load. Prepacked spinach has a shelf life of two weeks. Watch the bacterial populations fluctuate as time passes. Imagine that red bacteria cause illness while the blue represent spoilage bacteria. Bacteria gain strength and reproduce over time. A washing treatment with liquid sanitizer, such as chlorine, can reduce bacterial load by one log, given sufficient washing time. Watch what happens over the two weeks.

(Describer) By the end of two weeks, the spinach is covered in bacteria.

Now, what if greens are sanitized using ozone gas? Gaseous sanitizing reduces bacterial load by at least two logs. Watch what happens over two weeks.

(Describer) At the end of two weeks, there is almost no bacteria on the spinach.

After gaseous sanitizing, the difference is clear. Bacterial populations have been drastically reduced. Both safety and shelf life are extended. In conclusion, a commercial sanitizing process that uses ozone gas has a very good chance of keeping people safe and allowing them to eat healthy, delicious leafy greens. Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

(Describer) Titles: Liquid Plus Gaseous Sanitizing kills the most microbes. Copyright 2014. New Mexico State University. All rights reserved. Principal investigators. Sudhir Sastry, PhD. Gonul Kalentunc, PhD. Ahmed Yousef, PhD. Lester Wilson, PhD. Jeanne Gleason, EdD. Voice talent Kim Lytton. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.