HCQL scientists are also looking at the quality of fruits and vegetables. This includes developing new lines of fruits and vegetables that store longer and resist pathogens better. Commodities being studied at HCQL to bolster their microbial safety include fresh-cut spinach, celery, carrots, apples, bananas, sweet peppers, tomatoes, squash, strawberries, grapefruit, grapes, plums, and melons. Next year, we expect to have a commercial food irradiator installed in our center. Thayer's found that pasteurizing food by irradiation significantly reduces the numbers of harmful microorganisms such as E. coli , Bacillus cereus , L. monocytogenes , Salmonella , and Staphylococcus aureus .
Ionizing radiation is a safe and effective food preservation tool.
Not only did we inactivate the parasite, we doubled the berries' shelf life as well. As a result, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised those at high risk, namely children, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems, to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts. Because of their fragility, sprouts cannot withstand abrasive physical washing. So the focus has been on cleaning the seeds, which are suspected as the source of the pathogens. U.S. sprout growers are looking for an effective, practical, and cost-effective way to ensure that sprouts are free of pathogenic organisms.