Application of electrolysed water in post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables

Abstract

The increasing concerns of post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables have triggered the interest of scientists across the globe to look for alternative methods for treatment of horticultural produce after harvest that facilitates inactivation of fungal and bacterial postharvest pathogens without causing any ill effects. Electrolysed water (also known as electrochemically activated water solution) is primarily composed of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and is produced by passing electric current through a cell submerged in a saturated brine solution made up of high purity sodium chloride salt and deionised water. The solution thus collected at the anode terminal has strong oxidizing properties that have proven its use as a broad-spectrum sanitiser capable of inactivating a wide range of bacteria, viruses, yeast and molds. The ease of production makes electrolysed water a viable on-site generation option for industries that require a huge amount of the solution, thus reducing the strain on the supply chain logistics. The efficacy of the solution is determined by its temperature of use and the exposure time in addition to the active chlorine concentration (ACC), thus offering flexibility in the type of treatment required for different commodities. This chapter highlights the mechanism of action of electrolysed water against pathogenic microbes, its application on different fruits and vegetables post-harvest, its influence on the organoleptic properties of the product and global regulations around its use on fresh produce.