Neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) was tested as a disinfectant against
Listeria monocytogenes
on the surface of table eggs. Eggs were collected from a single Bovans White flock and were exposed to
L. monocytogenes
. Artificially contaminated eggs were divided into three different treatment groups: NEW, 2% citric acid solution (CAS), and saline solution (SS). To evaluate the bactericidal effect, the Mexican norm for antimicrobial activity determination protocol was performed. The observed bactericidal effect was compared against those obtained from CAS and SS. Bacterial cells present on the eggshells were quantified. NEW exhibited a significantly higher bactericidal effect than CAS when evaluated on the surfaces of chicken eggshells (6.11 log
10
CFU/ml reduction in vitro and a 2.18 log
10
CFU/egg reduction on eggs vs. 1.06 log
10
CFU/ml in vitro reduction and 1.74 log
10
CFU/egg). Additionally, CAS was found to react with the carbonate egg shield, resulting in a loss of cuticle integrity. Mineral content of NEW‐treated eggshells was similar to SS‐treated eggshells; however, CAS‐treated eggshells showed a significant decrease in phosphorous concentration compared to NEW treatment. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of NEW and CAS on the integrity of the
L. monocytogenes
wall using transmission electron microscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the effect of NEW against
L. monocytogenes
on eggshells. Our results show that NEW is a viable alternative solution for the disinfection of table eggs that does not affect the cuticle or shell.
The cover image is based on the Original Research The eff ect of neutral electrolyzed water as a disinfectant of eggshells
arficially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes by Andres Rivera‐Garcia et al., DOI: .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.