New disinfecting process could reduce illness outbreaks
A team of researchers has reported a new, easy-to-implement method that could eliminate or reduce incidences of illness related to spinach and salad greens.
Federal and state health officials currently have their hands full investigating an outbreak of Cyclosporiasis that has affected 358 people in 26 states. The outbreak has been traced to Mexican cilantro from the state of Puebla, where investigators found human waste and toilet paper in the growing fields. While most products like cilantro, spinach and other salad greens are rarely this contaminated, disinfecting these products to make them safe for sale and consumption is a serious issue.
Cross-contamination is a real threat in commercial processing facilities, but recently, a team of researchers reported a new, easy-to-implement method that could eliminate or reduce the incidence of these types of illnesses, according to the American Chemical Society (ACS).