Image edited with the permission of Adam Simpson
Following the major Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce, consumers might assume that produce labeled “triple-washed” offers greater protection from foodborne illness.
But industrial washing cannot necessarily eliminate pathogens already established on produce. At the same time, the disinfectants used during processing may react with the food itself, creating new compounds whose effects on human health are not yet fully understood.
That hidden chemistry is the focus of research led by Adam Simpson, assistant professor in the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
“Food processing is an engineered unit process, similar to processes in heavy industry,” Simpson said. “If we manipulate the matrix, we may transform its chemical groups and incorporate chemicals into the food.”
