Decontamination Efficacy and Principles of Electrolyzed Water

Abstract

Electrolyzed water (EW) is a novel bactericide in the food industry, which has received increasing attention. It has been shown to be an effective microorganism inactivation agent without bringing significant environmental hazard. EW parameters and microorganism properties can greatly influence the decontamination efficacy of EW. This chapter aims to review the influencing factors on microbial decontamination of EW. In addition, the mechanisms underlying the inactivation effect of EW on microbes were summarized. Apart from the lethal effect, the potential actions of EW on physiological states of microbes were also discussed. The extended applications of EW on spore inactivation and microbial toxin degradation were covered in the last part of this chapter.