Date Approved
9-20-2024
Embargo Period
9-20-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Department
Chemical Engineering
College
Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Advisor
Lark Perez, Ph.D.
Committee Member 1
Gary Thompson, Ph.D.
Committee Member 2
Kenneth Lau, Ph.D.
Committee Member 3
Zhiming Zhang, Ph.D.
Keywords
Electroporation;Food decontamination;Microbial inactivation;Pulsed electric fields;Stress responses
Subject(s)
Farm produce; Microbial contamination
Disciplines
Chemical Engineering | Engineering
Abstract
Several issues exist within the agricultural industry surrounding failure to prevent pathogen transfer to plants preharvest and failure to decontaminate foods postharvest. Fresh produce, like leafy greens, pose a large threat to public safety if contaminated because they are minimally processed and often eaten raw. Numerous outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce in recent decades, with irrigation water emerging as a potential source. These outbreaks have severe economic repercussions and can contribute to millions of hospitalizations and deaths each year, worldwide. This thesis focuses on the usage of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a means to create safer food products. First, a threshold is established for when spinach quality deteriorates from monopolar PEF exposures. This provides insight for parameter selection in future studies using bipolar pulses for direct tissue applications. Second, a 5 log reduction of Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and Salmonella enterica is achieved through novel split-dose PEF/ H2O2 combination exposures. Third, growth effects of Arugula are investigated in soil by watering using hydrogen peroxide solutions. Decontamination of irrigation water using PEF/ H2O2 treatments may serve as a 2-in-1 solution, where inactivating microbes before watering can prevent whole-field contamination, and residual H2O2 present can enter the soil and prevent fungal diseases like root rot.
Recommended Citation
Rosenzweig, Zachary, "USE OF PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE FOR PRE AND POSTHARVEST STRATEGIES TO REDUCE MICROBIAL LOADS ON FRESH PRODUCE" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 3293.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/3293
