Some salmonella microbes survived application of sanitizer to reusable plastic containers in a study done at the University of Arkansas.
The study, headed by Steven Ricke of the university’s Center for Food Safety and Department of Food Science, was published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Health. It tested two strains of salmonella using a pair of treatments.
“(Scanning electron microscopy) images showed that remaining attached cell populations were visible even after sanitizer application,” according to the researchers. Both treatments led to reductions, they found.
“It reinforces our industry’s commitment to use science in seeking facts about the performance of packaging materials,” Dennis Colley, president and CEO of the Fibre Box Association, said in a news release.
According to the association, separate research has shown that the process of combining linerboard and medium to make corrugated packaging is sufficient to destroy common food pathogens.
FoodWorld 