@article{tarwa_chiu_cuadra_gao_tikekar_2026, title={Validation of Sanitizer Concentration to Reduce Cross‐Contamination Risk During Washing of Apples}, DOI={10.1111/jfpe.70377}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT The presence of elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD) during apple washing can negatively affect the effectiveness of sanitizers. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of 80 ppm sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 80 ppm peracetic acid (PAA) to control and prevent cross‐contamination of Escherichia coli TVS353 on freshly harvested Pink Lady apples ( Malus domestica “Cripps Pink”). One inoculated apple was washed for 2 min in a simulated dump tank wash (SDTW) with 14 uninoculated apples under low (500 mg/L) or high (3000 mg/L) COD conditions. Bacterial enumeration was performed on uninoculated washed apples, inoculated washed apples, and the wash water using a modified most probable number (MPN) method. Results showed significantly higher levels of E. coli TVS353 detected at both low and high COD in the absence of sanitizer (2.3 ± 0.3 and 1.2 ± 0.6 log MPN/apple) compared to NaOCl (0.2 ± 0.0 and 0.3 ± 0.0 log MPN/apple) and PAA treatments (0.2 ± 0.0 and 0.2 ± 0.0 log MPN/apple). PAA was more effective than NaOCl in reducing E. coli on apples, achieving a 5.3–6.0 log reduction compared to NaOCl's 2.9–3.7 log reduction ( p < 0.05). NaOCl's efficacy was negatively impacted by high COD levels, while PAA remained effective. In the absence of sanitizer, substantial cross‐contamination and E. coli persistence in wash water were observed. These findings suggest that applying sanitizer treatment during apple washing is more effective in reducing and preventing the spread of microbes to clean apples and wash water compared to washing with water alone.}, journal={Journal of Food Process Engineering}, author={Tarwa, Kevin and Chiu, Alexandra and Cuadra, Iris Elisa and Gao, Zhujun and Tikekar, Rohan V.}, year={2026}, month={Feb} }