Short-term wash treatment of produce

Abstract

A produce wash system, method, and short-term wash treatment are provided. For example, the produce wash system includes a produce line including a short-term wash device followed by a wash device, a short-term wash treatment that is applied by the short-term wash device to a product, wherein the short-term wash treatment is applied using a spray device that creates micrometer sized droplets, and wherein the short-term wash treatment remains on the product for a pretreatment time that lasts until the product reaches the wash device, and a wash treatment that is applied by the wash device to the product, wherein the wash treatment rinses the short-term wash treatment from the product defining the end of the pretreatment time. The pretreatment time is set at or below a damage threshold time beyond which the short-term wash treatment damages the product beyond a damage threshold.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of washing a food product, the method comprising:
 applying, with a spray device, a short-term wash treatment to the food product as spray droplets, of the short-term wash treatment, having a volume median diameter (VMD) between 2 micrometers and 40 micrometers; and   applying, with a wash device downstream of the spray device, a wash treatment to the food product, wherein the short-term wash treatment is applied for a shorter duration and is chemically different from the wash treatment.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the spray device comprises at least one nozzle that creates the VMD of the spray droplets to be between 5 micrometers and 20 micrometers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises propylene glycol. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the propylene glycol is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the short-term wash treatment is a combined solution comprising an acidulant and a polyol. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the acidulant is one selected from a group consisting of a phosphoric acid and lactic acid;   the acidulant is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the combined solution;   the polyol is one selected from a group consisting of a glycerin and a propylene glycol; and   the polyol is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the combined solution.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein applying the short-term wash treatment to the food product comprises applying the combined solution for a pretreatment time between 3 seconds and 1.5 minutes at a temperature between 30° F. and 50° F. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the wash treatment comprises:
 free active chlorine from 2 to 40 ppm by weight of the wash treatment;   a compatible acidulant selected from a group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and lactic acid, wherein the compatible acidulant is from 10 to 1000 ppm by weight of the wash treatment; and   another polyol selected from a group consisting of a glycerin and a propylene glycol, wherein the other polyol is from 2 to 500 ppm by weight of the wash treatment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the short-term wash treatment comprises a coordinating acid and silver ions;   the coordinating acid is one selected from a group consisting of a citric acid and a lactic acid and is from 3% to 5% by weight of the short-term wash treatment; and   the silver ions are from 10 to 50 ppm of the short-term wash treatment.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the wash treatment comprises:
 a compatible acidulant selected from a group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and lactic acid, wherein the compatible acidulant is from 10 to 1000 ppm by weight of the wash treatment;   a polyol selected from a group consisting of glycerin and propylene glycol, wherein the polyol is from 1 to 500 ppm by weight of the wash treatment;   free active chlorine, wherein the free active chlorine is from 2 to 40 ppm by weight of the wash treatment; and   chloride from 1 to 100 ppm by weight of the wash treatment.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein applying the short-term wash treatment to the food product comprises applying the short-term wash treatment for a pretreatment time between 3 seconds and 1.5 minutes at a temperature between 30° F. and 50° F. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises silver dihydrogen citrate and wherein the silver dihydrogen citrate is from 10 to 50 ppm by weight of the short-term wash treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 submersing, with a product-submersing device, the food product into the short-term wash treatment; and   sifting the food product out of the short-term wash treatment after the submersing of the food product.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the product-submersing device is at least one selected from a group consisting of a rotating drum short-term wash device, a submersing pool pretreatment device, an agitating pool pretreatment device, and a spray curtain with brushes. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 transferring the food product between the spray device and the wash device using a transfer belt, wherein the transfer belt is configured to serve as a drain scroll; and   draining the short-term wash treatment from the food product using the transfer belt.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising controlling, with a timing belt, a period that the short-term wash treatment is applied to the food product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising controlling at least one of the spray device or the short-term wash treatment to account for at least one of product overload, inadequate chlorine in a flotation tank, or incomplete pH control. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein applying the short-term wash treatment provides a supplemental wash lethality of greater than 1 log against microbes found on the food product as compared to the lethality of applying the wash treatment alone. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising applying a pre-rinse to the food product prior to applying the short-term wash treatment, wherein the pre-rinse removes at least one of an initial organic load, soil, or debris. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises at least one of a peroxide, electrolyzed water, or plasma-activated water.