A study by researchers from the Center of Food Safety at the University of Georgia, published in Food Control (Vol. 119, Jan 2021), suggests that applying sanitizers to tomatoes, pre-harvesting can reduce foodborne pathogens. The treatment is better than the current post-harvest treatment. A new bactericide comprised of two chemicals, levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was evaluated. Results obtained from inoculation studies on tomato plants confirmed that this bactericide reduced the count of Salmonella, STEC, and L. monocytogenes populations substantially (P<0.05) when compared with water and chlorine treatment. Results showed that the application of this organic bactericide was effective for the reduction of foodborne pathogens and microbial loads in pre-harvest tomatoes. The approach described is a practical, easy-to-use, labor-cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach for control and reduction of foodborne pathogens that may contaminate the surface of the produce at the pre-harvest stage.@ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713520303856
