Efficacy of a food-grade mixture of volatile compounds to reduce Salmonella levels on food contact surfaces

Abstract

A novel antimicrobial solution called Flavorzon was evaluated for its ability to reduce Salmonella contamination levels on food contact surfaces. The food contact surfaces evaluated include stainless steel, HDPE cutting board, PVC conveyor belt, and HDPE tote plastic, which were inoculated by spot inoculation or by growing attached cells on the coupons for 48 h. The effectiveness of Flavorzon was evaluated by comparing it to other common sanitizers including chlorine, peracetic acid, and quaternary ammonium compounds. There was no difference in the effectiveness of Flavorzon compared to the other common sanitizers. All sanitizers were more effective on spot inoculated cells than on attached cells. The food contact surface tested also affected the ability of sanitizers to reduce Salmonella. Flavorzon shows potential to be used as a natural alternative to other common sanitizers.