The recent out break of Listeria has us all looking at the safety of our food from contamination!
Hydrogen peroxide, is a strong fast-acting antimicrobial agent controlling a wide spectrum of micro-organisms including bacteria, fungi, bacterial spores and viruses, is used for both its efficacy against contaminants and its capacity for complete decomposition to water and oxygen.
Clean your Meat, Fruit and vegetables!
Marinade
Place fish, chicken, beef, pork or other meat in a non-metallic casserole dish, and soak in 50/50 mix of water and 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide.
Vegetable Fruit Cleaner
Add one cup of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide to a sink full of cold water. Soak light vegetables (lettuce) for 20 minutes and thick skinned vegetables (cucumber) for 30 minutes.
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If you don’t have time to allow them to soak, spray them, let them stand for a few minutes. Rinse and allow to dry
Clean your food preparation surfaces and cutting boards!
Clean your fridge!
Hydrogen peroxide has been used successfully to decontaminate broiler chickens by soaking them for ten minutes in 0.5%-1.0% concentrations of food grade hydrogen peroxide.
(Poultry Science, Issue 66, 1987, pages 1555-1557)
Hydrogen peroxide demonstrates broad-spectrum efficacy against viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi and bacteria spores. Generally, greater effects were seen in Gram-negative than in Gram-positive bacteria (Block 2001). Our data cannot be easily compared with results cited in papers because of the variable contact times, assay temperatures and directions for use claimed. Our results confirmed the bactericidal effect of hydrogen peroxide between 1.56% (±0.68) – 2.75% (±1.52) for Gram-negative bacteria and 3.58% (±1.3) – 12.5% (0) for Gram-positive bacteria. Concentrations between 1% and 5% hydrogen peroxide are generally indicated in food washing treatments to reduce microbial populations on alfalfa sprouts, cantaloupe, melons or asparagus for a few minutes of contact time (Parish et al. 2003). For example, a previous study investigating the efficacy of 2.5% and 5% hydrogen peroxide washing treatments by submerging melons during 5 min found that these treatments caused a 3 log10 CFU cm2 reduction in Salmonella spp. on all melon surfaces (Ukuku 2004). The same conclusions were reported by Abadias et al. (2011) and Alexandre et al. (2012), and these last authors reported that the highest total mesophile reductions (2.26 ± 0.38 and 1.59 ± 0.41 log units) were reached after washing of strawberries with respectively 5% and 1% chemical solutions of hydrogen peroxide.
(H. Martin and P. Maris ANSES, Fouge`res Laboratory, Fouge`res cedex, France)
The Truth about Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide has been
effective against Listeria
Elimination of Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms by Ozone, Chlorine, and Hydrogen Peroxide
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Synergism between hydrogen peroxide and seventeen acids against six bacterial strains
H. Martin and P. Maris
USA approved Sanitary Food Practices of Hydrogen Peroxide
According to US regulations, hydrogen peroxide (at a concentration of only 0.05%) may be used as an anti-microbial agent in milk that is used in the making of cheese. Hydrogen peroxide may also be used in any “amount sufficient for the purpose” to bleach tripe, beef feet, herring and instant tea!
This is not a new idea.
“Hydrogen peroxide has considerable value as a germicide for two reasons: First, the enormous reduction of numbers of bacteria, and second, the harmlessness of the decomposition products.”
(Heinemann, Journal of the American Medical
Association, March 24, 1913)
Hydrogen peroxide is also approved for use by the aseptic packaging industry. You are most certainly familiar with the small boxes of juice and other drinks that do not need to be refrigerated. Manufacturers spray the inside of those little boxes with hydrogen peroxide before they are filled with fluids such as fruit juice, milk, etc. Once the package is hermetically sealed, any hydrogen peroxide in the container will prevent any bacteria, viruses or fungi from growing within the container.
“Hydrogen peroxide may be used to treat polyethylene foodcontact surfaces.”
(Federal Register, Volume 46, Number 6, January 9, 1981, 21 CFR, Part 178, Section 178, 1005, (e), (1))
The EPA has approved hydrogen peroxide for use as an antimicrobial treatment in agricultural premises, food establishments, medical facilities, home bathrooms, dairy processing plants, food processing equipment, breweries, wineries and beverage plants. In addition, hydrogen peroxide (along with and oxidized form of vinegar) is one of the materials approved by the U.S. Evironmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in anthrax decontamination efforts to reduce spore populations.
The EPA also has approved disinfection systems used by numerous companies throughout the world. These companies offer clean-room sterilization techniques that simply spray a fine vapor of hydrogen peroxide into the room in
order to disinfect it completely.