Produce Washers

Washing is an important element in postharvest operations which significantly influences produce quality and safety. It is used as an intervention procedure at produce-packing or preparation steps to remove dust, dirt, food, and chemical (e.g., pesticides) residues, and other debris on produce surfaces. However, when a washing procedure is not designed and/or managed properly, it can create produce injury, cross-contamination, and/or internalization of microbiological and chemical contaminates. Two categories of produce washers are used by the industry. Immersion washers wash produce by dumping, submerging, and/or floating produce in process water. Non-immersion washers wash produce by spraying or rinsing produce on flat or curved wash beds or in a basket or drum. Both categories of washers incorporate physical and/or chemical treatments to achieve desired sanitization. This chapter reviews commonly used produce washers and their modes of operation in produce packing and preparation.