Water is far more than just an ingredient. It’s a critical component in the food safety process that safeguards what we eat long before it ever reaches our plates.
Water is far more than just an ingredient. It’s a critical component in the food safety process that safeguards what we eat long before it ever reaches our plates. The Interagency Food Analytics Collaboration (IFAC), an arm of the CDC and FDA, estimates that 9.0 million episodes of foodborne illness in 2021 led to 56,00 hospitalizations and 1,300 deaths. These latest statistics place a spotlight on identifying contamination sources and prioritize safeguards to reduce the spread of foodborne illness.
Chlorinated water is a primary tool to support food safety practices both in-the-field and during post-harvest processing. Chlorinating pond water used to irrigate crops is a strong intervention step that helps prevent the spread of pathogens from root to fruit. In driplines, chlorinated water enhances the performance of irrigation systems by inhibiting the growth of algae, mold, bacteria and biofilms that can cause clogging. And, in post-harvest, the use of chlorinated wash water in flumes, spay bars and dip tanks helps to eliminate harmful bacteria and cross contamination.
This is no small task when you consider that, as of 2021, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that there was 895.3 million acres of farmland in the U.S. In that same year, the average farm in the U.S. was 446 acres. Little wonder that there are some 2,000 businesses involved in processing fresh fruit and vegetables. And while there are three well known chlorination forms in use (gas chlorine, sodium hypochlorite or dry calcium hypochlorite), the use of a calcium hypochlorite tablet system provides three distinct advantages: safer handling and storage, ease of application, and better chlorination strength.
For those considering adding a new chlorination system or upgrading their current one, here is a closer look at the Accu-Tab calcium hypochlorite system.
Calcium Hypochlorite – Cal-hypo is a dry chlorine that has been used for disinfection of produce and produce process water for decades. In solution, the product has a pH of 10.5 making water balance adjustment easier than liquid bleach (pH of 13) or gas chlorine (pH of 2). According to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, the target pH for ideal disinfection is between 6.0 and 7.5. In cool, dry and well-ventilated storage, cal-hypo is more stable and consistent than liquid bleach as well. Cal-hypo has been reported to improve the shelf-life and disease resistance of fruits and vegetables by adding calcium to the cell wall.
The Accu-Tab® cal-hypo system reliably controls water molds and kills harmful bacteria with consistent strength. Uniquely designed chlorinators use slow release 68% three-inch calcium hypochlorite tablets in a complete system to deliver consistent and controllable chlorine doses.
The Accu-Tab chlorinators are low-maintenance with few moving parts. They don’t require metering pumps, or have small openings that can clog like other delivery systems that use cal-hypo briquettes. Additionally, the system easily integrates with any type of irrigation system to help maintain consistent flow in irrigation lines enabling clean water to reach crops.
Learn more about how the Westlake Water Solutions Accu-Tab system provides an effective tool to boost crop yield, while providing clean wash water for fresh produce, red meat and poultry, and more.