To: Homestead List <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [Homestead] Electric water
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:11:29 -0500
Electric water kills bacteria without chemicals
By Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia
Water is one of the world’s most precious resources. But if you combine
it with salt and an electrical charge, it becomes one of the strongest
disinfectants, too.
Scientists at the University of Georgia are studying ways to use
electrolyzed oxidized water, or EO water, to sanitize fresh chicken in
processing plants along with other things. It can be up to 10 times more
effective at killing harmful bacteria than traditional methods.
"We wanted to use the water on chicken carcasses to see if it cuts down
on the levels of salmonella and campylobacter," said Yen-Con Hung, a
food scientist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.
EO water is created when a saltwater solution goes through an
electrolysis process, said Hung. It separates the water’s positive and
negative ions. This makes two forms of water, one very acidic and one
very alkaline.
Working with CAES poultry scientist Scott Russell, Hung tested both
forms of EO water on fresh chicken carcasses. They found the acidic EO
water killed foodborne pathogens on the chicken. The alkaline EO water
cleaned the chicken.
“The alkaline stream of EO water mixes with the fat on the chicken and
cleanses the surface and protects the carcass in the future,” Russell
said. “It’s just like when your grandmother mixed fat and lye to make soap.”
Pennsylvania-based Murray’s Chickens is the first poultry processor in
the United States to use the UGA EO process to kill pathogens, Hung
said. EAU Technology holds the license on the UGA technology.
"In mass production, this technology would be very cost effective," Hung
said. "When you want to use it, you push a button. You don't have to
worry with mixing up concentrated liquids, and it's more effective than
chlorine rinses."
In his laboratory on the UGA Griffin, Ga., Campus, Hung has found the
acidic water effectively kills harmful bacteria on eggs, apples, lettuce
and cutting boards. The alkaline water is a useful general cleanser.
The technology is widely used in Japan to sanitize dental and medical
equipment. Many Japanese homes have EO washing machines that need no
detergent. Koreans use it in dishwashers.
In the U.S., the wholesale and retail cut flower industry uses the water
to prevent the spread of diseases and extend shelf life. “And the water
doesn’t have to be changed every day,” Hung said.
Hung hopes to see the technology used in U.S. fast food restaurants.
“We’ve had several outbreaks of foodborne illness related to fast food.
This could help prevent future cases,” Hung said.
(Sharon Omahen is a news editor with the University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
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BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
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