Cleaner Produce. Better-Controlled Process.
From post-harvest treatment and process water to packinghouse sanitation, EraDOCate helps commercial operations establish label-supported hygiene procedures that teams can train, monitor, and document.
Use-specific protocols. Controlled applications. Clear documentation. More consistent execution.
Why Produce Hygiene Matters
The 2026 produce outbreaks underscore the importance of preventive controls throughout growing, processing, distribution, and food service. They are public-health examples, not evidence that a particular produce wash prevents those outbreaks.
FDA outbreak information last reviewed October 17, 2026
Jalapeños · Salmonella
488 illnesses, 65 hospitalizations, 34 states. FDA and CDC closed the Salmonella Javiana outbreak investigation associated with recalled jalapeño peppers. Some downstream recalled products may have longer shelf lives.
Alfalfa Sprouts · STEC + Salmonella
76 illnesses, 6 hospitalizations, 16 states. FDA continued investigating infections linked to recalled alfalfa seed and sprout products. Recalled seed and sprouts should not be used or sold.
Iceberg Lettuce · Cyclospora
12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations, 2 deaths. FDA closed its investigation of the multistate outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce; post-outbreak prevention work continues.
Frozen Blueberries · E. coli
17 illnesses, 6 hospitalizations. The E. coli O145:H28 outbreak ended, but FDA reported expanded recalls of frozen berry products with best-by dates extending into 2028.
Ready-to-Eat Fresh-Cut Produce
Fresh-cut produce often has no later kill step. FDA's final guidance emphasizes hazard analysis, preventive controls, CGMPs, sanitation, and measures for washing cut produce under the Preventive Controls for Human Food framework.
Water Risk Assessment Is Now Operational
Small covered farms reached the pre-harvest agricultural-water compliance date on April 6, 2026. Covered farms using pre-harvest agricultural water for non-sprout covered produce are subject to systems-based agricultural-water assessment requirements, with very small farms scheduled for April 5, 2027.
What the Current EPA Labeling Supports
EraDOCator-60 is EPA Reg. No. 54289-4-102813 and is traceable to primary EPA Reg. No. 54289-4. The current primary label includes specific fruit-and-vegetable and process-water uses. Those directions are separate from hard-surface public-health disinfection claims.
Commercial Fruit & Vegetable Process Water
For commercial operations and packinghouses, the current primary label includes fruit-and-vegetable process-water use for control of spoilage bacteria and fungi.
- Coarse spray or submersion
- 60-second contact time recommended
- Use the current EPA-accepted label for preparation and concentration requirements
- Potable-water rinse not required under this labeled use
- Not intended for primary flumes before the first dewatering stage
Raw, Unprocessed Post-Harvest Produce
For raw post-harvest fruits and vegetables, the current primary label includes dip or coarse-spray treatment to control non-public-health microorganisms associated with decay or spoilage.
- Coarse spray or soak
- At least 45 seconds contact time
- Use the current EPA-accepted label for preparation and concentration requirements
- Drain dry without a potable-water rinse
- Do not reuse treatment solution after treatment
Processed Fruits & Vegetables
The current primary label also includes processed-fruit-and-vegetable treatment to control non-public-health microorganisms that can cause spoilage.
- Spray or dip
- At least 45 seconds contact time
- Use the current EPA-accepted label for preparation and concentration requirements
- No rinse following application required under this labeled use
- Drain dry without a potable-water rinse
More Than a Produce Wash
For growers, processors, distributors, and institutional food services, the opportunity is a more consistent and documented workflow across produce, process water, equipment, and people, not just a chemical substitution.
Produce
Use the applicable post-harvest or processed-produce direction for the exact product and setting.
Process Water
Control the process, circulation, organic load, contact time, replenishment, and the specific process-water use.
Equipment & Food-Contact Surfaces
Use separate applicable food-contact sanitizing directions for tanks, lines, tables, utensils, conveyors, and other food-contact surfaces.
People & Process
Training, label-based preparation, concentration verification, cleaning sequence, documentation, and escalation determine whether the written protocol survives daily operations.
What Recent PAA Research Adds
Independent studies of peracetic-acid formulations show why cleaning, concentration, contact time, material compatibility, and process-water controls matter. They are not EraDOCator-60 trials and do not expand the product's labeled claims. Skip to the implementation review.
80 ppm PAA on collard greens and kale
A 2026 study found 80 ppm PAA produced the largest reductions among the tested acid-based washes. Researchers reported about 1.0 to 1.2 log reductions in native bacteria, 1.2 to 1.4 log reductions in fungi, and about 1.5 to 2.3 log reductions in Enterococcus faecium, used as a pathogen surrogate, under the study conditions.
Food-contact material changes biofilm removal
A USDA-linked study evaluated PAA against E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on stainless steel, PTFE, and EPDM under dynamic flow. Performance varied by surface, shear conditions, and exposure time. EPDM was consistently harder to clean than stainless steel under the tested conditions.
Sublethal exposure reinforces process control
Experimental research found PAA exposure induced persistent small-colony variants and stress responses in Listeria monocytogenes under specific laboratory conditions. The operational lesson is to avoid under-controlled treatment and focus on pre-cleaning, label-based preparation, labeled contact time, surface condition, and verification.
Research does not expand the EPA label
These studies describe PAA under their own formulations and experimental conditions. They do not establish an EraDOCator-60 claim against E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes biofilms, current outbreak strains, or any organism not supported by the current EPA label for the applicable use.
80 mg/L PAA in produce washing
A study evaluating cucumbers, broccoli, and lettuce found antimicrobial washes including 80 mg/L PAA significantly reduced tested foodborne pathogens. PAA also reduced cross-contamination during lettuce washing under study conditions.
PAA and cross-contamination control
A study of in-shell pecans found 30 and 90 ppm PAA significantly reduced Salmonella. The 90 ppm PAA condition was especially effective at preventing transfer to uninoculated pecans during conditioning.
Biofilms reinforce the need to clean early
Research on mature Listeria monocytogenes biofilms found reduced susceptibility to approved chlorine and PAA sanitizer treatments. The operational lesson is prevention, regular cleaning, and avoiding established biofilm whenever possible.
80 ppm is not a universal outcome
A cut-salad study found 80 ppm PAA had only a temporary, relatively weak bactericidal effect under its conditions and did not improve shelf life. Concentration, produce type, contact time, organic load, and process design matter.
How a Better Produce Process Can Help the Community
Food-safety events affect more than the person who gets sick. They can disrupt growers, local restaurants, schools, hospitals, resorts, retailers, food banks, community feeding programs, distributors, and consumer confidence.
Strengthen Local Food Systems
Give growers, packers, processors, and institutional buyers a clearer way to document wash-water control, sanitation, training, and verification.
Track Avoidable Product Loss
The label includes spoilage-control uses. An implementation review can measure spoilage, rejected product, and disposal before and after implementation rather than making an unverified waste-reduction claim.
Use Water More Intentionally
Where the applicable produce label does not require a post-treatment potable-water rinse, operations can measure whether the workflow reduces water handling or steps without turning that use-specific direction into a universal claim.
Build Confidence Through Visibility
Concentration checks, contact time, training records, sanitation logs, supervisor review, and measurable implementation data give buyers more than an invisible promise that a surface or wash tank was “clean.”
Build a Produce Implementation Review
Start with the current workflow. Change one controlled process. Measure what matters to the operation.
Put Produce Into the OCEAN Standard
OCEAN turns separate product directions into an operating language teams can train, execute, verify, and improve.
Evidence, FDA Updates & Produce-Safety Resources
Use primary regulatory sources for EraDOCator-60 claims. Use FDA outbreak advisories and peer-reviewed literature to understand the broader food-safety environment.
What Would a Better Produce Process Look Like in Your Operation?
Bring the current wash chemistry, process-water setup, concentration, contact time, rinse steps, sanitation process, quality concerns, rejected product, water use, and training challenges. EraDOCate can help structure a label-based implementation review with clear measures before and after implementation.
EraDOCator-60 EPA Reg. No. 54289-4-102813 · Primary EPA Reg. No. 54289-4.
Always follow the current product label, SDS, state registration, food-safety requirements, and use-specific directions.
A Produce Implementation Review Can Evaluate
- Current wash chemistry and process-water workflow
- Produce type and post-harvest handling
- Use-solution concentration and contact time
- Rinse, drain-dry, and finish requirements
- Microbiological indicators and quality measures
- Spoilage, rejected product, and product loss
- Water use, process steps, and labor
- Food-contact and equipment sanitation
- Training, concentration checks, and supervisor review