Effectiveness of a commercial peracetic acid-based disinfectant to reduce microbial loads in spinach (spinacia oleracea) leaves

The growing consumption trends of healthy and easy to prepare foods have stimulated the minimally processed ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable market[1]. Besides providing health benefits, the consumption of minimally processed leafy leaves has been associated with the presence of foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes[2-4]. Contamination of leafy vegetables can occur at any step through the food chain, and therefore, their washing with sanitizers improves their safety. However, the effectiveness of the process can be influenced by the washing parameters (e.g., water temperature and contact time of vegetables with disinfectant solution), sanitizers used (e.g., chlorine-based or organic acid), vegetables, phyllosphere bacterial community composition on a leafy surface, and also microorganisms’ characteristics, such as the target genus and cell attachment (e.g., adhesion to biofilm and plant internalization)[5].