Application of hydrogen peroxide to improve the microbiological stability of food ice produced in industrial facilities

Abstract

This work was aimed to produce an “active” food ice to preserve its microbiological safety over time. With this in mind, ice cubes were processed with the addition of H2 O2 to water before freezing. Four food ice productions were performed at the industrial level: one control trial without the addition of H2 O2 (0OX) and three experimental trials obtained by adding 4, 8, and 12 mg/L of H2 O2 (4OX, 8OX, and 12OX), respectively. After production, all food ice trials were artificially contaminated with 102 CFU/100 mL of water-borne pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Enteroccus faecalis ATCC 29212, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853) inoculated individually. Thawed ice samples were then subjected to microbiological analyses performed by the membrane filtration method and the results indicated that only trial 12OX was able to inactivate all bacteria strains. In conclusion, the addition of 12 mg/L H2 O2 represents an optimal cost-effective strategy to preserve the microbiological stability of food ice even when it is improperly handled after production.