Food processing facilities in the United States widely utilizes free chlorine to prevent foodborne diseases. The reaction between free chlorine used in fresh produce washing and the produce-derived organic carbon and nitrogen is predicted to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs), many of which are mutagenic, genotoxic, carcinogenic, clastogenic and developmentally toxic. This study investigated DBPs generated as food residues and in the process water. Treating cut lettuce with free chlorine resulted in the formation of multiple conventional, as well as emerging classes of DBPs, such as chloroform, trichloracetaldehyde, dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1-dichloropropanone, 1,1,1-trichloropropanone and dichloroacetamide, in a dose-dependent manner. The study also investigated modification of amino acid residues in protein. While conventional and emerging classes of DBPs may volatilize before reaching to consumers, oxidation products from free amino acids and/or amino acid residues in protein in lettuce are not as volatile, and may remain on the produce as food residues to the point of consumption. Results of this project lead to a better understanding of potential health risks associated with exposure to DBPs from food source, and to the reduction of environmental impacts of DBPs in food processing facility effluents.

Formation of vegetable-derived disinfection byproducts

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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