# Application of Electrolyzed Water in the Food Industry: A Review
## 1 Introduction  
Around the globe, numerous foodborne aliments are prevalent [1]. These diseases are costing humans enormous suffering and posing survival challenges over time, and currently, the issues of food intoxication and acute food borne infections are reaching alarming rates in comparison to the past few decades [2], raising concerns for governments, regulatory authorities, and food processing industries [3]. Foodborne diseases caused by the consumption of unsafe food results in 600 million reported cases globally, with an annual death rate of 420,000 people out of 56 million total deaths each year [4]. A total of 600 million individuals suffering from foodborne illnesses account for 7.69% of the total world population (7.8 billion). Each year, 56 million people die due to various reasons, and 7.5% of these mortalities (420,000 death) occur solely due to foodborne diseases. According to statistics from the World Health organization, 23 million people in Europe suffer from foodborne illnesses with an annual mortality rate of 5000 individuals [5]. According to the data from Centers for Disease Control, in the USA, 1 out of 6 people are affected by the consumption of contaminated food or beverages, with annual death rate of 3000 individuals. As per the calculations of the United States Department of Agriculture, contaminated food and beverages costs more than 15.6 billion US dollars each year [6]. Scientific societies around the globe are continuously striving to establish safe and effective protocols and means to ensure food safety [7]. Food safety issues have always been a point of concern for food manufacturers, retailers, researchers, regularity authorities, and policymakers in developed as well as developing countries [8], such as Japan [9], the USA [10], Taiwan [11] and the United Kingdom [12]. Recent outbreaks in these countries have increased international concerns regarding the issue [13]. To date, numerous techniques have been designed to control incidences of foodborne diseases to ensure the provision of a safe food supply [14]. Most food processing establishments implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) in their systems as a preventive measure [15]. Incidences of food-borne illness outbreaks are still prevalent in the foodservice sector, including food stores, institutions, and fast-food restaurants, where food commodities receive multiple treatments to ensure their safety for consumption [16]. Even after implementing safety measures, the incidence of these issues indicates that hazards still exist in the food supply chain [17]. With increasing demands for processed food, the food chain is becoming complicated in terms of transportation, handling, storage, and processing, rendering the maintenance of a safe food supply a challenging task [13]. Another challenge is presented by the current environmental conditions that are increasing the urge to utilize natural resources [18]. To conserve energy and water resources [19], emerging technologies are being developed in an attempt to create reliable alternatives to restrict or eliminate the production of chemical residues produced during various operations [20]. These technologies, alternatives to the conventional methods, attempt to improve microbiological safety, physicochemical characteristics, and overall food quality [21]. Electrolyzed water technology, an invention of green chemistry, has gained popularity as a disinfection technique [22]. Electrolyzed oxidizing water, also regarded as Electrolyzed Strong Acid Aqueous Solution (ESAAS) [23] or Strong Acidic Electrolyzed Water (StAEW), is a novel antimicrobial that has been used globally for the past few years [24]. Numerous studies report the antimicrobial potential of electrolyzed water against a variety of microorganisms [25]. In the recent past, electrolyzed water has found its application in medicine, dentistry [26], agriculture, and the food industry [27].