Chlorine dioxide gas is a relatively new sanitizer in the food industry and has more accessibility than its aqueous form. Depending on the generation method of ClO2, there can be byproducts like chlorite and chlorate ions that can decrease the disinfectant efficacy and purity of ClO2. Recently, a new technology has been developed that generates chlorine dioxide without using chlorine gas. This new electrochemical method generates gaseous chlorine dioxide from aqueous sodium chlorite (NaClO2). Unlike earlier methods, there is reduced generation of byproducts, including chlorite and chlorate. Additionally, the purity of ClO2 obtained by this method can be as high as 98%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ClO2 gas, generated by the electrochemical method, against the foodborne microorganisms occurring on slaughter equipment and livestock carcasses. Using AISI 304 stainless steel in livestock processing equipment, the disinfectant effect of chlorine dioxide gas, in presence of organic matter such as yeast extract and feces, on E. coli and S. typhimurium contamination, was examined. Both E. coli and S. typhimurium counts were reduced by more than 5 log cycles in presence of 2.5% and 5% feces. When beef, pork skin, and chicken wings were treated with chlorine dioxide gas, despite significant differences in comparison with the control group, the microbial count was reduced by less than 2 log cycles. Overall, our results confirmed the applicability of gaseous chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant in livestock processing equipment and livestock products.

Human mouth environment is known to include a variety bacteria, including Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Actinomyces spp., Lactobacillus spp., Candida spp., Enterobacteriaceae, et al. Human oral microorganisms can cause dental caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, respiratory tract infection, and cardiovascular disease. Thus, right denture cleaning is essential to oral and general human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of a sodium dichloroisocyanurate-based effervescent tablet (Aos Denti Germ, Aos Company, Chungbuk, Korea) against oral microorganisms. A total of 5 species Streptococcus spp. (Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus sobrinus), Actinomyces oris, Candida albicans, and Escherichia coli were used in this study. All strains were exposed to the distilled water prepared with effervescent tablet. After the exposure, the mixture of strains and effervescent tablet was inoculated onto blood agar or MacConkey agar plate and cultured at 36℃. All strains were killed immediately on exposure to effervescent tablet. The results suggested that effervescent tablet could be used as an effective denture cleanser for dental hygiene.