Effect of Different Conditions of Citric Acid and Acetic Acid Decontamination against Esherichia coli in Lettuce

This study was conducted to determine the effect of different conditions of citric acid and acetic acid decontamination against Escherichia coli in lettuce. The samples was inoculated with E. coli and kept for 24 hrs at 4°C. The sample was decontaminated by using different concentrations of citric acid and acetic acid (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%), different time (0, 15 and 30 min) and different physical applications (agitation and without agitation). The number of E. coli was counted after incubation at 37°C for 24 hours. The result shows that citric acid and acetic acid were effective in removing E. coli at concentration of 1.0% without agitation while application of physical forces significantly increases the efficiency of citric acid and acetic acid in eliminating E. coli with concentration at 0.5% after 15 min. There is no significant difference with regards to 30 mins decontamination duration compared to 15 mins. The citric acid and acetic acid with the application of physical force are more effective compared to citric acid and acetic acid without the agitation. In conclusion, citric acid and acetic acids could be used as a disinfecting agents for decontamination of fresh produce in home application and food service sectors