Wash Water Sanitation: How Do I Compare Different Systems?
Product wash water, if not properly sanitized, can become a source of microbiological contamination for every piece of produce that passes through that water. It is a widespread misconception that chlorinated wash water cleans and/or sterilizes produce as it is washed. Chlorinated wash water does little more to clean produce than potable, non-chlorinated water. Chlorine does sanitize the wash water and maintains a low microbiological count in the water. In this way the water does not become a reservoir for bacteria to infest the produce. Sodium (or sometimes calcium) hypochlorite is most commonly used in produce wash water. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds depends on the amount of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) present in the water. This, in turn, depends on the pH of the water, the amount of organic material in the water and, to some extent, the temperature of the water. Very little chlorine occurs as active hypochlorous acid above pH 7.5; instead the chlorine occurs as inactiv
