A salmonella outbreak in Northern Territory has affected approximately 80 people around Australia.
The cause of the outbreak has been linked to a contamination of rockmellon on an agricultural farm in Katherine in rural Northern Territory.
According to the NSW Food Authority, rockmelons can become contaminated with salmonella through contaminated water, fertiliser, or insufficient cleaning prior to sale.
A published peer-review scientific study has previously highlighted the efficacy of electrolyzed water in preventing salmonella contamination on produce.
The study concluded that findings “clearly illustrate that EO water [electrolyzed water] is an effective antimicrobial for reducing foodborne pathogens in water and on cutting boards”.
A separate report, published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, ascertained that electrolyzed water “was very effective not only in reducing the populations of campylobacter jejuni [gastroenteritis]…but also could prevent cross-contamination of processing environments”.
Decontamination of Lettuce Using Electrolysed Water
http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/81/10/1598.full.pdf