Food safety is a number one concern in the food industry today, and with very good reason. According to a July 2015 report from Swiss Re Insurance, food recalls have nearly doubled in the U.S. since 2002. Making fresh produce safer has been at the forefront of the NatureSeal R&D team’s work over the past several years.
NatureSeal, Inc., in collaboration with a USDA, ARS, Food Microbiologist in Wyndmoor, PA, have developed a new, patent pending produce wash, First Step+ 10, designed for use on whole and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, including leafy greens and sprouts. This product offers an ideal defense in reducing pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella in packing houses as well as fresh-cut processing environments.
First Step+ 10 is an antimicrobial liquid concentrate, comprised of a blend of FDA GRAS ingredients. As an alternative to chlorine (which produces carcinogenic by-products such as trihalomethanes) and other traditional antimicrobial produce washes, First Step+ 10 and has been OMRI listed for use on organic produce.
First Step+ 10 maintains its concentrations and efficacy when exposed to high organic loads, per the British Standard EN 1276 method, allowing for microbial control in the wash water. Based on USDA testing for disinfectants, we anticipate the solution will maintain efficacy longer than common sanitizers. This allows for re-use of wash water, resulting in less wash water discharges, thus reducing net cost.
Considering the powerful defense that First Step+ 10 provides against pathogenic bacteria, neither taste, texture, nor appearance are compromised by using this produce wash. Moreover, the product is easy to handle, with no foaming or pungent odor, and is fully biodegradable into its constituent organic components over time. This wash can be applied using conventional application equipment, with the simplicity of monitoring concentration and effectiveness by pH.
First Step+ 10 has been approved for use by the FDA as a produce wash in the United States as well as by Health Canada for use in Canada.
