Product Details
Atom8, WAC 6 a versatile Organic Sanitiser
(Sanitiser for fruit, meat, chicken houses, barns, abattoirs, potable drinking water, many more)
- Sanitise and protect Fruit and Vegetables
“A novel antimicrobial ZnO nanoparticles-added chitosan oligosaccharide edible coating for the preservation of mold, pathogens etc. of postharvest fruits, vegetables, eggs etc. under ambient conditions”
Strawberries coated with Atom8, WAC 6 films showed resistance against grey fungus and gram positive and gram negative bacteria attack and an insignificant alteration in their flavour, appearance, aroma and texture. In other words, the chitosan film protected the strawberry from fungi/bacterial attack, showing its great potential as edible coating for fruits and vegetables.
Introduction
The postharvest loss of fresh fruits and vegetables are estimated to be 20–30%. Given the perishable nature of fruits and vegetables, the use of cold storage is necessary to delay changes related to ripening, such as ethylene making, softening, pigment changes, respiration rate, acidity changes and decrease in weight. However, cold storage is not enough to preserve fruits and vegetables quality at optimum levels during transportation and marketing, often leading to the incidence of severe chilling injury symptoms. So, the appropriate postharvest technologies combined with cold storage are needed.
Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), degraded from chitosan, has been proved as an effective plant immunity elicitor, eco-friendly, easily soluble in water and influenced several secondary metabolites content to improve fruit qualities. OBJECTIVE: The effects of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) on the quality and ripening related gene expression of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. qingxiang) during storage were investigated in this study. METHODS: COS was dissolved in distilled water at a concentration of 50 and 100 mg·L–1. Then the fruits were dipped in COS solution and the control group was dipped in equal amount of distilled water for 1 minute. After that the fruits were air-dried and stored at 20 ± 0.5◦C with 80 ± 2% relative humidity. RESULTS: COS treated fruits significantly delayed the loss of hardness, total sugar and ascorbate content. In addition, COS treatments had positive effect on maintaining higher concentration of total phenol, anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity. Moreover, COS treatments also had positive effect on inhibition of relative gene expression of cell wall polysaccharides degradation pathways, including pectate lyase (FaPL), pectin esterase (FaPE) and endoglucanase (FaEG) and ethylene biosynthesis (FaACS and FaACO) pathway. These findings suggest that the use of COS 100 mg·L–1 postharvest treatment is useful for maintaining quality and storage life of strawberry fruits. CONCLUSION: COS postharvest treatment appeared to have a beneficial impact on the quality retention, maintained lower activities of cell wall degradation and the ethylene biosynthesis pathway.
Chitosan has attracted a growing attention as a food preservative due to its versatility, nontoxicity, biodegradability and biocompatibility.
In addition, chitosan is an excellent edible film component due to its film-forming capacity and good mechanical properties and can form transparent films, which can fulfil various packaging needs (Srinivasa et al. 2002
- Characteristics of Atom8, WAC 6 coatings for fruit and vegetables
Edible coatings or films that is effective and sustainable in preventing the waste of millions of tons of fruits, meat and vegetables resulting from decay and deterioration. Edible coatings have gained significant attention due to the advantageous properties they offer and their ability to extend fruit and vegetable shelf-life. These coatings are a novel type of primary packaging made from biological compounds like polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and other polymers (Nussinovitch, 2013) (Figure 1). Coatings can be made of one of these general materials, or from a composite mixture like HOCL.
The functional properties of these natural ingredients have been explored by DTA and compared with the properties of synthetic additives as potential natural alternatives to prolong produce shelf-life (Maftoonazad et al., 2007; Obianom & Sivakumar, 2018; Tesfay, Magwaza, Mbili, & Mditshwa, 2017). As a result, from their biological composition, bio polymeric coatings are biodegradable, another characteristic that heightens their interest. Based on their eco-friendly factors, edible coatings have become a popular technique not only to extend produce shelf-life and preserve quality, but also as a replacement for petroleum-based materials (Wool & Sun, 2005).
DTA Technology – tested on Avocados – WestFalia near Tsaneen
Atom8, WAC 6 with this product, DTA propose a new edible coating formulation to preserve fruits, vegetables, eggs etc. for prolonged freshness. The edible coating consisted of film-forming special mixed polysaccharides (Propriety) supplemented with non-toxic zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using the mixing method. ZnO nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 10 to 40 nm were grounded in a special nano ball mill. The prepared ZnO and polysaccharides edible coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at the NWU. The results showed that the edible film coated on an avocado’s surface was smooth and uniform with an even distribution of ZnO nanoparticles in the film matrix. The physicochemical properties of avocados, such as appearance and brightness; weight; firmness; and reducing sugar content significantly improved after coating with the ZnO/special polysaccharides edible film as compared to the uncoated samples.
This technology summarized the characterization of new biodegradable edible coatings based on natural thickeners on quality and shelf-life of apple, papaya, carrot, guava, plum, mango, apricot, banana, orange, mushroom, tomato and eggs.
The edible coatings fabricated from natural thickeners could provide some benefits such as extended shelf life, delaying postharvest ripening, decrease the rate of respiration, biocompatibility and environmentally friendly, economically affordable, good mass transfer barrier characteristics, carriers of foods additives such as antioxidants, vitamins and antimicrobial compounds and achieve the high reduction of the fruits and vegetables weight loss.
Today consumers are more wary than ever before of the effects of food preservatives can have on their health and the environment. Chitosan coatings provide an exciting and green opportunity for food companies due to chitosan being non-toxic, biocompatible, natural, and biodegradable while showing excellent performance at extending the shelf life of many foods.
Let us help you maintain your food’s quality for longer.
Nowadays, chitosan is one of the best-known and most widely used polysaccharides in preparing edible films and coatings due to its high antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxic profile. Chitosan edible coating: a potential control of toxic biogenic amines and enhancing the quality and shelf life of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish etc.
S-based coatings enhanced the antioxidant systems in fruit crops, meat and other products during storage, inducing non-enzymatic antioxidants biosynthesis, promoting the bidirectional recycling of antioxidants such as ASA-GSH cycling and enhancing antioxidant enzymes activity.
Chitosan matrix used for the preservation of fresh fruit increasing shelf life. Post-processing protection by Active packaging Active coating has been proposed as an Innovative approach that can be also applied to ready-to-eat products to minimize or prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms
Active edible coating and packaging refers to the incorporation of additives or extracts from natural sources into packaging or coating systems to increase the shelf life of foods and then to provide a high-quality products (fresh/safe.
Potential uses of edible coatings of fruit
- Produce a modified atmosphere in the fruit
- Reduces decay
- Delay ripening of climacteric fruits
- Reduce water loss
- Delay colour changes
- Improve appearance
- Reduce aroma loss
- Reduces exchange of humidity between fruit pieces
- Carriers of antioxidant and texture enhancers
- Carriers of volatile precursors
- Impart colour and flavour
- Carrier of nutrients
- Meat – Sanitise and Protect
Salmonella and/or E. coli contamination of poultry are a serious problem for a nation’s food supply (Herald and Zottola, 1988, Knowles and Roller, 2001). The primary sources of bacterial contamination on poultry are faecal material and dirt (Dickson & Anderson, 1992). The avian microflora includes pathogens such as Salmonella sp., Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli (Cochran et al., 2000, Smith et al., 2005). Cross-contamination of carcasses during poultry processing increases the Salmonella loading on meat by about 30% (Cochran et al., 2000). E. coli, a normal part of the intestinal microflora of birds, is ubiquitous on carcasses. With the appearance of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 in the food chain, E. coli has become of even greater concern than Salmonella contamination. These microorganisms can attach firmly to both muscle and skin as well as to the stainless steel surfaces of processing equipment. E. coli and S. typhimurium are detected both on broilers and on the surfaces of processing systems, such as the belt chains and chilling baths (Breen et al., 1995, Cadenas, 1989). The sessile organisms are more resistant to disinfectants than their planktonic forms (Booth and Kroll, 1989, Cherrington et al., 1988, Pacelli et al., 1995). Numbers of bacterial pathogens on carcasses and equipment are reduced, but not eliminated, by process steps which include carcass washing and immersion chilling (Cochran et al., 2000). Reduction in bacterial numbers has both an economic as well as a public health benefit leading to longer shelf-life and increased safety for the consumer.
In meat, during incubation at 30°C for 48 h or storage at 4°C for 10 days, 0·5–1·0% chitosan and HOCL inhibited the growth of spoilage bacteria, reduced lipid oxidation and putrefaction, and resulted in better sensory attributes. WAC 6 also had a good effect on the development of the colour of meat during storage.
As a sanitising agent the combination of Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and chitosan in water effectively inactivates both pathogenic and spoilage bacteria through oxidative damage to cell membranes (Wholey 2012). In vitro E.O. water studies on cell suspensions of bacteria and bacteria in biofilms have shown good results in their ability to kill food pathogens and spoilage organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Pseudomonas spp. (Kim et al. 2001; Ovissipour et al. 2015; Rahman et al. 2010). Research on the efficacy of E.O. water against those bacteria contaminating various food products has also shown excellent results in suppressing microbial contamination (Huang et al. 2006a; Kim and Hung 2012; Park et al. 2001; Pinto et al. 2015; Rahman et al. 2010; Shiroodi et al. 2016).
Slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) is created from the electrolysis of a combination of diluted hydrochloric acid solution HCl (2–6%) in a chamber cell without a membrane and tap water in an electrolytic cell containing both cathode (Ti) and anode (IrO2) [38]. SAEW can also be made by electrolysis of dilute electrolyte of NaCl in an electrolysis chamber without the diaphragm [37, 39, 40]. The SAEW generator comprises an electrolytic cell with anode and cathode electrodes that are without a separating membrane between them [41–43]. Figure 1 shows a schematic depiction of the SAEW generating equipment and the compounds that are generated through electrolysis. A further protection of the meat is that chitosan with HOCL will leave a nano layer on the meat protecting over a much longer time.
- Broiler House Cleaning
In clean water, very low levels of HOCl and chitosan kill most bacteria and some viruses. Approximately 1 minute with 1 to 2 parts per million HOCl should be sufficient contact time. As water quality decreases and complexity increases, contact time or concentration must increase to maintain adequate microbial kill.
Trials
During trials at a Standerton at the Klippoort Broiler Farm WAC 6 was extensively trailed for 4 consecutive sanitising cycles were successfully done. Goldi reports all shown “A’s” after their swap regime. Due to its chitosan content WAC 6 leave a nano film on its targets that give long lasting protection effect. In sections above the sanitation value of WAC 6 was clearly demonstrated.
- Potable drinking water – WAC6 an organic solution
Hypochlorous acid and Chitosan. The safe, powerful alternative to traditional biocides, 100% organic
WAC 6 is a combination of chitosan, nano bubbles and HOCL that delivers highly oxygenated and sanitised water that is good for humans, animals, birds and plant. Non Toxic and 100% organic.
Hypochlorous acid is the more effective disinfectant and it dominates at lower pH levels, so a lower pH is preferred for disinfection. Conversely, a higher pH is needed for water treatment strategies that depend on chlorination to oxidize iron and manganese, pH between 6 – 6,5.
In clean water, very low levels of HOCl kill most bacteria and some viruses. Approximately 1 minute with 1 to 2 parts per million HOCl should be sufficient contact time. As water quality decreases and complexity increases, contact time or concentration must increase to maintain adequate microbial kill. The low ppm required offers a very low cost for water cleaning and drinking water. (Results of test reports is available on request)
Chitosan as flocculants are used in systems ranging from active water treatment systems for mobile water treatment and water clarification, to semi-passive pumped water incorporating coarse filtration and geotextile bags, and completely passive water treatment models, such as bio-filtration and check dams. Chitosan flocculent is rated as one of the world best flocculate’s works fast and leave pure clean disinfected water in the reservoir.
- Conclusion
Due to WAC 6’s versatility in various applications different dosages are necessary and your service provider will give and assist you on the variable dosages/application. The product is organic and can be used on almost any food stuff giving excellent sanitation and prolonged protection.
Packaging
Concentrates 1:300 in 5 liter; 25 liter containers
A healthy, stress-free bird is more likely to produce high-quality meat with a superior taste.