Home Cleaning & Maintenance Ecolab Introduces Antimicrobial Fruit, Vegetable Treatment

Ecolab Introduces Antimicrobial Fruit, Vegetable Treatment

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ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. introduces Antimicrobial Fruit and Vegetable Treatment (AFVT)—a product to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks related to ineffective produce washing in foodservice operations. AFVT is the industry’s first no-rinse produce wash to earn both Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for pathogen reduction in the water for whole produce and on the surface of cut fruits and vegetables.

“Our customers count on us to provide products that help deliver clean, safe and healthy environments everywhere it matters—and the food safety arena is particularly important,” said Kris Kielsa, vice president of marketing, Institutional Division, Ecolab. “Feedback from our foodservice customers indicated a need for a product that is not only effective, but easy to use in a busy commercial kitchen. AFVT is just one example of how Ecolab is uniquely positioned to respond to the needs of our customers by delivering innovative products that help improve food safety.”

A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that lettuce and other leafy green vegetables are the largest source of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. “For a cost of less than a penny per plate, AFVT provides restaurant operators with an extra measure of protection against foodborne illness, helping to protect their customers and the reputation of their brand,” Kielsa added.

Leaves No Smell or Aftertaste

Kielsa went on to say that AFVT provides a substantial improvement over current produce-washing practices. “It enhances the appearance of produce, reduces bacteria that cause spoilage and leaves no smell or aftertaste. Ecolab’s controlled dispensing system makes using the product as easy as turning on a tap.” He added that one sink-full can clean a day’s supply of fresh fruits and vegetables—up to 200 pounds—making it easy and efficient to use in a busy commercial kitchen.

AFVT is registered with the EPA indicating that it reduces 99.9 percent of E.coli, Listeria and Salmonella in wash water for raw agricultural commodities. The product also received FDA clearance confirming that the new fruit and vegetable wash reduces pathogens on the surface of cut (further processed) produce.

“The CDC study also said that about 2.2 million people get sick annually from eating contaminated leafy vegetables. That represents about 23 percent of the 9.6 million cases of foodborne illness each year,” said Erin Mertz, principal microbiologist at Ecolab. “We believe the patent-pending chemistry of our AFVT will help lower the number of these cases by both reducing pathogens on the surface of produce and in the wash water.”

Go to Ecolab.

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