I-Corps: A Novel Approach to Sanitize Fresh Produce, Food-Contact Surfaces, and Wash Water Using Micro/nanobubbles

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project will be improvement of the microbial safety of fresh produce in a cost-effective, efficient, and non-toxic way. Sanitizing systems were valued at an estimated $250 M in 2019. Washing with chlorine remains the predominant industrial choice for minimizing pathogen contamination, but it is imperfect. Moreover, chlorine can readily react with dissolved organic matter released from fresh produce, causing the depletion of free chlorine and the generation of harmful chemical by-products. The reduction/elimination of chemicals will help maintain the nutritional value, prolong shelf life, and increase the market size of fresh produce. The proposed innovation can be implemented into current produce processing systems for sanitizing the produce, food-contact surfaces, and wash water to partially/fully to replace chemical sanitizers. In addition to the produce market, this innovation could be applied to adjacent food processing industries and beyond, such as medical and cosmetic industries.This I-Corps project involves micro/nanobubbles (MNBs) for sanitizing fresh produce, produce-contact surfaces, and the wash water for fresh produce industries. Chlorine systems can only achieve 1-2 log cycle reduction of common pathogens. The proposed system offers greater removal efficiencies of bacteria and colloids from various surfaces using MNBs and MNBs in a combination of surfactants. MNBs are gaseous entities (at micro- and nano- size range) characterized by: relatively stable lifetimes (up to months), negatively charged surfaces, extremely high contact angles and interfacial areas/energies, neutral buoyancy, reduced friction, and ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). These characteristics are highly desirable for cleaning purposes. MNBs have been shown to be effective in many applications, such as cleaning of medical equipment and wastewater treatment. We aim to identify the key MNB properties (e.g., size distribution, concentration, stability, zeta-potential), the most effective solution combinations, and procedures on pathogen removal and inactivation efficacy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.