Study: Overhead Spray Systems Could Improve Tomato Sanitation
January 12, 2012 
Tomato packinghouses that rely on flume systems to sanitize tomatoes might do a more effective job of eliminating Salmonella bacteria if they switch to overhead spray systems, University of Florida researchers say.
A study published online recently by the Journal of Food Science compared both methods head to head, using sodium hypochlorite solutions. The results showed that a non-recirculating, overhead spray brush roller system eliminated at least 60% more Salmonella bacteria than a flume system with a dump tank.
One possible reason for the improvement is that brushes used in the overhead spray system remove dirt from the fruit, reducing the risk of contamination, said author Keith Schneider, a food science associate professor with UF/IFAS.
“Currently, only a few packers are utilizing brush washing systems,” Schneider said. “Hopefully, as more work is completed on the benefits of using a brush washing system, we might see an increase in its utilization.”
Schneider is currently testing the system for its effectiveness on spoilage rate, cross-contamination rate and possible biofilm formation.
Further research is needed to test the system’s effectiveness on other pathogens, and develop improved methods to expose the maximum possible surface area of each fruit to the spray, he said.
The research team included Schneider and food science graduate student Alexandra Chang.
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