Washing Away the Worries About
Germs
Environment and Resource
Management
Originating Technology/ NASA Contribution
Fresh fruits and vegetables have been in demand
by orbiting astronauts since the early days of
the Space Shuttle. As one can imagine, however,
oranges, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and other fresh
items can provide a cornucopia of smells in a closed
environment such as the Space Shuttle or the International
Space Station (ISS), especially when they begin
to perish. It does not help that they are loaded
onto the Space Shuttle up to 24 hours in advance
of a launch, and that the on-orbit shelf life is
just 2 to 3 days for most, due to a lack of refrigeration.
While such produce adds significant variety to
astronauts’ diets and increases their morale, the
odor that emanates from it as it ages can cause
nausea. One of the last things astronauts need
is associating this healthy fare with feelings
of nausea.
NASA is currently investigating the use of a commercial
sanitation product it helped develop with private
industry to thoroughly cleanse and, thus, increase
the shelf life of fruits and vegetables being sent
into space. Meanwhile, this product is ripe for
the picking for consumers looking to do the same,
and more, on Earth.
Partnership
Microcide,
Inc., was incorporated in 1990, with
the primary objective to develop unique, non-toxic,
and environmentally safe microbicidal products
for personal care, public health, food, and agriculture,
through research and development. The Troy, Michigan-based
company was introduced to NASA through the Glenn
Research Center-sponsored Garrett Morgan Commercialization
Initiative (GMCI), a program for small, minority-
and woman-owned businesses that can benefit from
NASA resources.
As a result of this meeting, Microcide was welcomed
to join the NASA Food Technology for Commercial
Space Center (FTCSC) as an affiliate partner, with
sponsorship from GMCI. The mission of the NASA
FTCSC is to lead a national effort in developing
foods and food-processing technologies that enhance
the safety of space missions and advance commercial
food products through cooperative efforts with
NASA scientists and technologists, commercial companies,
and academic researchers.
As an affiliate partner, the company interacted
with personnel from Johnson Space Center and learned
that there was a need for a nontoxic, biodegradable,
microbicidal product to disinfect fresh fruit and
vegetables for Space Shuttle crews. Hydrogen peroxide
and hypochlorite are the oxidizing agents that
have been used as sanitizing agents in past space
missions, but
the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide remains questionable
and both hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite are
known to produce carcinogenic free radicals, according
to published research.
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Astronaut
James Voss, Expedition Two flight engineer,
is deciding between two colors of apples as
he takes a break for a snack in the Zvezda
Service Module on the International Space Station. |
Microcide developed PRO-SAN, a technology comprised
of safe sanitizing agents that could possibly be
used as an alternative to the two controversial
oxidizing agents. Dr. Anthony Pometto, director
of the NASA FTCSC, and Vicki Kloeris, manager of
Space Shuttle and ISS food systems at Johnson,
wondered whether PRO-SAN could improve current
food-sanitizing measures in space, so they commissioned
Dr. Aubrey Mendonca, an FTCSC outreach mission
specialist, and Dr. Cheryll Reitmeier, an FTCSC
education mission specialist, to carry out a comparative
investigation of the sanitizer against various
other disinfecting products.
The study proved the potential of PRO-SAN as a
safe, stable, and biodegradable product for use
in space; however, at the time, it was only available
as a concentrated powder and a ready-to-use liquid.
The powder is difficult to handle in zero gravity
and the use of liquid presents increased payloads
for flights. NASA and Microcide decided that the
alternative would be to have the
PRO-SAN powder concentrate available as a water-soluble
package. Once this package is dropped in water,
it can be stirred until it dissolves, creating
a ready-to-use sanitizer.
Based on this research, Microcide has perfected
a food-grade soluble packaging design for use on
Earth.
Produce Outcome
The water-soluble powder concentrate formula of
PRO-SAN is now available, in addition to the ready-made
spray bottle formula. The difference between the
two is that the water-soluble version is 100 times
more concentrated than the spray version.
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PRO-SAN
sanitizing products offer safety from harmful
foodborne bacteria, such as E.
coli, salmonella, listeria, cholera, shigella,
staphylococcus,
and streptococcus. |
Microcide asserts that all PRO-SAN products offer
safety from harmful foodborne bacteria, such as
E. coli, salmonella, listeria,
cholera, shigella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and many others.
PRO-SAN even instantly kills antibiotic-resistant
bacteria, the company adds.
The sanitizer is free of volatile organic compounds,
chemicals that have been found to be a major contributing
factor to ozone pollution. Simply stated, PRO-SAN
does not pollute indoor air in enclosed spaces
of homes and kitchens. Also important is that the
food-grade ingredients and emulsifying agent of
PRO-SAN do not produce carcinogenic by-products
or free radicals.
The technology has three different functional properties of cleaning, sanitizing,
and chelating (a process that uses chemical substances to bind molecules and,
thus, remove toxins), with the power to kill 100 million bacteria in 30 seconds,
with 99.999-percent efficiency, according to tests. PRO-SAN-treated fruits and
vegetables maintain their original taste and flavor, not to mention that even
their natural colors are enhanced—all without leaving behind an unwanted film
or residue. In addition to fruits and vegetables, PRO-SAN can be used on counter
tops, cutting boards, dishes, utensils, forks, knives, and sinks.
Ideal environments
for the use of PRO-SAN include hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers, dormitories,
restaurants, and offices.
In 2004, Microcide was awarded a Phase I Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR)contract with Johnson to further explore how nontoxic sanitizing methods can
prevent food contamination and improve hygienic conditions during prolonged space
missions and here on Earth.
PRO-SAN® is a registered trademark of Microcide,
Inc.
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