Practical application of superheated steam to harvesting, processing, and produce packing tools and equipment

Superheated steam (SHS) represents an alternative to conventional dry sanitation strategies (physical removal and spot-cleaning with sanitizer, or intermittent wet cleaning, etc.) utilized in dry produce handling operations. There is limited data to support the efficacy of these conventional dry sanitation strategies in providing equivalent control over microbial hazard removal or inactivation when compared to wet sanitation. Additionally, organic operations frequently rely on a water rinse step following sanitizer application to remove residues, which is not feasible using exclusively dry sanitation methods. SHS represents an energy and water efficient alternative to sanitation across food operations, but because it does not introduce moisture or condensation on equipment surfaces, its application to the treatment of dry produce handling surfaces is of growing interest.