Evaluation of chlorine dioxide gas release rates from dry precursors intended for applied technologies under disparate conditions and their effects on Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes

The diverse food safety issues facing developed countries require innovations to current food safety intervention technologies and chemistries. Several innovations have been made to highly efficacious treatments, such as chlorine dioxide (ClO2). However, many of the innovations stop short of evaluating actual yield, practical feasibility, or basic chemistry of the technology. In this study, our aim was to evaluate ClO2 precursors, sodium chlorite and citric acid, under disparate but applicable conditions. First, we modeled production of ClO2 from the powdered precursors with three different masses, sample ID 1, 2, and 3, at room (18 °C) and refrigeration (2 °C) temperatures. Second, we investigated the effects of a water reservoir on ClO2 production. Third, we assessed collection method issues that may impact reported ClO2 values. Finally, we evaluated the precursor's efficacy against three common foodborne pathogens: Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes on a glass surface between 15- to 60-min treatment times. Over 25 h the precursors produced between 1.87- to 37.76- and 0.87- to 4.19-mg ClO2 under 18 and 2 °C, respectively, demonstrating that low temperatures reduced ClO2 reported yield. Peak rates of production at 18 °C were estimated to be 3.51 mg/h, 3.83 mg/h, and 4.78 mg/h for sample ID 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Modeling the rate of production indicated that sample IDs had significantly (p 2.51 mg/h) of ClO2 production under 2 and 18 °C.•Overall, lower temperatures significantly (p = 0.0013) reduces ClO2 production but enhanced (p < 0.0461) bacterial inactivation.•ClO2 precursors capable of reducing common foodborne pathogens by >6 log CFU/glass carrier in