Objective:
The objective of this proposed research will be: (1) Develop techniques to improve food safety and quality of fresh and fresh-cut produce using electrolyzed water, ultra-sound and other emerging technology; (2) Investigate the effect of various new sanitizers on pathogen reduction and shelf-life extension of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables; (3) Gain a greater understanding of how fresh-cut processing conditions affect plant metabolism, microbial growth, and their interactions.

Approach:
Our cooperative approach will be: (1) Evaluate the effect of electrolyzed water and ultra-sound on microbial inhibition and shelf-life improvement of fresh-cut produce; (2) Study the effect of new sanitizers, including SANOVA and Tsunami etc. on pathogen reduction, product quality and shelf-life; (3) Evaluate produce.