Released: October 30, 2001

K-State Testing Decontamination Foam for Food Science, Ag Sectors

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A newly-developed foam product that recently was found to kill anthrax spores is also being tested for application in the food and agriculture sectors.

Officials at Kansas State University are testing the decontamination foam, developed by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, to kill such foodborne pathogens as E. coli 0157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas (a spoilage organism) that may persist on equipment used to process food.

The product is non-toxic and non-corrosive, and looks a lot like shaving cream. Additional uses may be to sanitize meat cutters’ protective equipment, or to sanitize such production units as feedlot pens or poultry houses.

"Currently, peroxyacetic acid is considered to be one of the best products out there," said Reddi Thippareddi, one of the K-State researchers studying the use of this product. "But the Sandia foam is more stable and more effective than other systems currently being used in the food industry."

Sandia Labs initially developed the foam to decontaminate tanks or other military equipment that might be exposed to various biological warfare agents. The product is gaining greater public attention in the United States because of the recent spate of anthrax mailings. Sandia Labs contacted K-State Research and Extension food scientists to test the product for food and agriculture uses.

The exact ingredients being used are proprietary, but Sandia scientists report they are similar to common household products.

Jill Bieker, a K-State graduate student who is conducting the university’s tests, said early work has found a "100-percent reduction" of unattached cells of common foodborne pathogens. But she noted that the product’s real test will come when it is evaluated against cells that have actually attached themselves to hard surfaces (such as stainless steel within the processing plant) in what is called a biofilm.

"Once microorganisms form biofilms, they may become up to 500 times more resistant to commonly-used sanitizers," Bieker said. "So our next step is to look at the pathogens that are able to form biofilms and see what kind of reductions we get when applying the foam."

K-State food scientist Randy Phebus, the lead researcher in this project, said because of the food industry’s daily operations, it’s very common for food biofilms to form on equipment.

"Even some of the most concentrated sanitizer solutions don’t get them off," he said. "Those organisms are in a community [that is] very healthy and resistant to sanitizers. For instance, resident biofilms in processed meat production are the most common cause of the deadly Listeria pathogen commonly associated with deli meats."

Developing an effective sanitizing product for the food processing industry includes knowing when to apply the product, in what concentration and for how long, Phebus said.

"One of the things that we will be looking at with the foam product is its effect when used in the presence of organic materials," Phebus said. "For example, if there’s organic material left on a [conveyor] belt or floor, does that inactivate the Sandia foam the same way it inactivates sanitizers, such as bleach? Those are things that we’ll need to find out."

In addition to its uses for the military, Sandia Labs is working with companies that hope to use the foam to sterilize such things as surgical rooms and equipment, and pharmaceutical laboratories.

K-State will also investigate other forms of the foam, such as using the solution as a mist in the air. The initial stage of K-State’s study will likely take 9-12 months, Phebus said, "but we could be working on this 3-5 years down the road if the numerous potential applications pan out."

Phebus said the foam product needs regulatory approval prior to use in the food sector. Sandia Labs has licensed the product through a private company, which is promoting its use against anthrax. It has been successfully demonstrated to kill anthrax spores in controlled tests simulating bioterrorism or biowarfare scenarios.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Pat Melgares, News Coordinator
pmelgare@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News