Antimicrobial methods for the use in contact with food

Silver and ionization are used in many applications involving contact with perishable food. Their general antimicrobial activity at standard conditions (e.g. JIS Z 2801) is described in several publications. However, the specific conditions encountered in the perishable food supply chain, such as low temperatures or prevalent microorganisms are not considered in these tests. Furthermore, studies on the influence of food residuals on the rate of bactericidal activity are rare. Thus, the objective of this thesis was the assessment of antimicrobial methods with regard to their ability to reduce airborne and surface bacteria during processing and storage of perishable food. In particular, possible influencing factors on the rate of antimicrobial activity were investigated, such as temperature, food residuals and microflora. Based on the results, an evaluation scheme was developed for the assessment of antimicrobial techniques with regard to the prevailing requirement profiles for the respectively application area.