Reducing waste and enhancing safety of fresh produce by hydraulic shock washing

This project aims to improve the efficiency, sustainability and safety of bagged salad production, worth over £450M retail sale value in the UK, through more effective processing of fresh produce. A novel washing process designed to be installed in commercial salad washing systems will be investigated. The process has the potential to extend the shelf life of prepared salads and other foodstuffs prone to microbially driven spoilage. The process can also reduce the total amount of water used, and the environmental impact of toxic biocides used in many wash systems. The consortium is led by Vitacress Salads Ltd, and includes Sainsbury's Stores Ltd and Ambit Projects Ltd, each members of the salad packaging, retailing, and equipment manufacturing industries respectively, supported by one of the UK’s leading surface biofilm research teams at the University of Southampton.