Integrated system for hygienic washing of fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables

CITROCIDE® is an integral system developed by CITROSOL for the hygienic washing of fruit and vegetables that guarantees the food safety of the final product in a sustainable way, as it achieves a great reduction in water consumption during the washing process. Currently, this system is an excellent solution for the hygienic washing of a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as various fresh-cut products. This system increases the food safety of the final product by minimising the risk of cross-contamination during the washing process and keeping the water hygienic at all times. The CITROCIDE® system uses CITROCIDE® PC and PLUS formulations, technological adjuvants that are highly effective against all types of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, yeasts and even viruses. Furthermore, CITROCIDE® does not generate any disinfection by-products (DBPs) that are potentially harmful to humans or the environment. There is no risk of leaving any traces of chlorates, perchlorates or trihalomethanes in the final product or its wash water. This system fully complies with European regulations on Chlorates and Trihalomethanes residues in water, as it totally avoids their generation. This CITROCIDE® system allows fully automatic monitoring and control of the disinfection process of the wash water. The system measures continuously and in real time the concentration of CITROCIDE® in the wash water, and automatically maintains the optimum dosage at all times. It is equipped with advanced software that allows the most relevant data of the washing process to be recorded, thus providing detailed information via internet connection from any device. The CITROCIDE® system extends the shelf life of fruit and vegetables and its effectiveness has been proven in industrial conditions. Washing with the CITROCIDE® system significantly reduces post-harvest rotting and mould growth in various products such as peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, avocados and garlic cloves, among others. CITROCIDE® formulations have been evaluated by AECOSAN, the Spanish Food Safety Agency, for use as a technological adjuvant in the washing of fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables, and have been certified by CAAE as an input for organic farming. Furthermore, its use is approved in several EU countries and others such as Peru, RSA, Egypt and Morocco. Today we have more than 40 CITROCIDE® systems installed in customers all over the world for the hygienic washing of tomatoes, peppers, avocados, mangoes and peeled garlic cloves. These systems maintain the hygiene of the washing process and guarantee the food safety of fresh produce. This information is included in the article"Control de higienizantes en el agua del proceso".