Two-Step Cleaning and Disinfection Procedure with Detox Pro & Peracetic Acid

Fresh fruits and vegetables may come into contact with soil, dust, surface dirt, wax-like layers, certain surface-related pesticide residues and microbial load during harvesting, transport, storage and processing. Surface adhesion can be more pronounced especially on products with firm peels such as dates, oranges, apples and quinces, while process conditions should be selected more carefully for delicate-surfaced vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants.

In food businesses, washing with water alone usually helps reduce surface dirt; however, it may not always be sufficient for hygienic control. Therefore, in professional applications, a two-step system based on the principle of cleaning first, followed by controlled disinfection is a more appropriate approach.

This article discusses a measurable and recordable fruit and vegetable hygiene procedure based on pre-cleaning with Ultracol® Detox Pro followed by controlled disinfection with Peracetic Acid 15.0 | 15% PAA.

Two-Stage Washing is Safer

One of the common mistakes in the field is applying disinfectant directly without prior surface cleaning. However, if soil, organic dirt, wax layers, oily residues or high organic load are present on the fruit and vegetable surface, the effectiveness of the disinfectant may decrease.

In such cases, the disinfectant may:

• Fail to reach microorganisms sufficiently.

• Be rapidly consumed by organic load.

• Show unstable ppm values throughout the process.

• Produce different results on different product groups at the same dosage.

• Create a process that is difficult to explain during inspections and quality control.

Therefore, the correct hygiene approach can be summarized as follows:

First clean the surface and reduce the organic load; then apply controlled disinfection.

Step 1: Pre-Cleaning with Ultracol® Detox Pro

Ultracol® Detox Pro is positioned as a professional surface cleaner designed for fruit and vegetable pre-washing processes in food businesses. The purpose of this step is not disinfection. The main purpose is to help remove dirt, dust, organic load, wax-like layers and certain surface-related hydrophobic residues from fruit and vegetable surfaces.

Detox Pro contains nonionic surfactants, buffering components and auxiliary substances that support surface wetting. This structure helps the product surface come into better contact with water and prepares it more effectively for the subsequent disinfection step.

Which Products Can It Be Used On?

Subject to verification through pilot application, it may be used on the following product groups:

• Dates

• Apples

• Oranges

• Pears

• Quinces

• Tomatoes

• Eggplants

• Fruits with firm or textured peels

• Delicate-surfaced vegetables

The important point here is that every fruit and vegetable has a different surface structure. Therefore, contact time, product sensitivity, water temperature and the degree of mechanical movement should be optimized according to the operating conditions.

Detox Pro Application Conditions

Water volume: 100 L
Water quality: Potable water quality
Temperature: 15–25 °C
Application time: 5–10 minutes
Dosage: 5–10 mL Detox Pro / 1 L water

Dosage for 100 L water:

Detox Pro Application Steps

1. Add 100 L of potable-quality water into the application tank.

2. Add 500–1000 mL Ultracol® Detox Pro to the water.

3. Mix until the solution becomes homogeneous.

4. Place the fruits and vegetables into the tank so that they are fully in contact with the solution.

5. Allow contact for 5–10 minutes, depending on the product group.

6. For firm, textured or waxy surfaces, a contact time closer to 10 minutes may be preferred.

7. For delicate-surfaced products, pilot testing should be performed with a shorter contact time.

8. At the end of the contact period, remove the products from the tank.

9. Rinse the products thoroughly with potable-quality water.

At the end of this step, the aim is to reduce surface dirt, soil, certain oily residues, wax-like layers and some surface-adhered residues.

Important note:

Detox Pro should not be positioned with the claim that it removes systemic pesticide residues or residues that have penetrated into the product tissue. This product should be evaluated as a pre-cleaner that helps remove surface-related dirt and certain surface residues.

Step 2: Controlled Disinfection with Peracetic Acid 15.0

After pre-cleaning and intermediate rinsing, the fruit and vegetable surface becomes more suitable for the disinfection step. At this stage, Peracetic Acid 15.0 | 15% PAA is used for chlorine-free oxidative disinfection.

Peracetic acid is a strong oxidative disinfectant with a broad microbial activity spectrum that can be effective at low concentrations. Unlike chlorine-based products, it does not create free chlorine residue and does not carry the risk of chlorine-derived by-products such as chlorate and perchlorate.

However, correct dosage, contact time, organic load control, final rinsing and residue verification are also important in PAA applications.

Why PAA?

Peracetic acid may be preferred in fruit and vegetable hygiene processes due to the following advantages:

• It does not contain chlorine.

• It does not create free chlorine residue.

• It does not carry chlorate/perchlorate risk.

• It provides effective oxidative hygiene at low ppm levels.

• It can be measured using test strips or a suitable test kit.

• It can be monitored and recorded in process documentation.

• It works more efficiently after organic load has been reduced.

The key point to emphasize is:

PAA should not be described as “leaving no residue”; instead, it should be described as “offering a low-residue profile when used with correct dosage, appropriate contact time, rinsing and residue control.”

Target PAA Concentration

As an initial pilot range for general fruit and vegetable hygiene applications:

50–80 ppm PAA

may be recommended.

This range should be verified at the facility level according to product type, surface structure, microbial load, water quality, temperature and process targets.

Dosage Calculation for Peracetic Acid 15.0

Since Peracetic Acid 15.0 contains approximately 15% PAA, the practical calculation can be made as follows:

Example dosage for 100 L water:

Practical recommendation for general use:

A working solution of approximately 60–75 ppm PAA can be prepared by adding 40–50 mL Peracetic Acid 15.0 to 100 L of water.

PAA Application Conditions

Water volume: 100 L
Water quality: Potable water quality
Target PAA: 50–80 ppm
Recommended starting level: 60–75 ppm
Contact time: 1–3 minutes
Temperature: 15–25 °C
Control: PAA test strip or colorimetric PAA test kit

PAA Application Steps

1. Add 100 L of potable-quality water into a separate disinfection tank.

2. Add 40–50 mL Peracetic Acid 15.0, depending on the target concentration.

3. Mix the solution until homogeneous.

4. If possible, check the PAA level before application using a test strip or suitable test kit.

5. Place the pre-cleaned and intermediate-rinsed products into the PAA bath.

6. Apply 1–3 minutes of contact time depending on the product group and process target.

7. At the end of the contact period, remove the products from the bath.

8. Depending on the product type and facility procedure, perform a final rinse with potable-quality water.

9. If required, check the final rinse water or product surface for PAA residue.

10. Record the measured values in the process control form.

Critical Warning: Detox Pro and PAA Must Not Be Mixed in the Same Tank

In this procedure, Detox Pro and Peracetic Acid should not be used in the same bath.

The correct process sequence should be:

Detox Pro pre-cleaning → intermediate rinsing → separate PAA disinfection bath → final rinsing if required → residue control

Surfactants, organic load and buffering components in the Detox Pro bath may increase PAA consumption. Therefore, PAA should be applied in a separate, clean and low-organic-load tank to ensure maximum effectiveness and measurable control.

What Is the Advantage Compared to Chlorine-Based Washing Processes?

Chlorine/hypochlorite-based products are commonly used in fruit and vegetable washing. However, in these processes, free chlorine residue after application, chlorine carryover into rinse water, and chlorine-derived by-products such as chlorate/perchlorate should be evaluated separately.

The Detox Pro + Peracetic Acid 15.0 system offers the following advantages as an alternative to chlorine-based processes:

• It does not create free chlorine residue.

• It does not carry chlorate/perchlorate by-product risk.

• It separates pre-cleaning and disinfection steps.

• PAA level can be measured in ppm.

• The process can be recorded.

• It provides a more controlled hygiene approach through rinsing and residue control.

• It offers a technically more explainable process flow during inspections.

Therefore, this system may be considered a more controlled alternative, especially for facilities experiencing free chlorine residue issues after treatment.

How Can the Process Be Explained During Inspections?

In food business inspections, the following questions are generally important:

• Which product is used and for what purpose?

• Is the product used for cleaning or disinfection?

• How is the dosage determined?

• Is the contact time recorded?

• Is the disinfectant level measured?

• Is final rinsing performed?

• Is residue control applied?

• Is operator application standardized?

This procedure can be explained as follows:

Fruit and vegetables are first surface-cleaned with Ultracol® Detox Pro. In this step, the aim is to reduce dirt, organic load and surface residues. The products are then rinsed and disinfected in a separate tank using ppm-controlled Peracetic Acid 15.0 solution. At the end of the process, final rinsing and residue control are performed according to the product type, and the application is recorded.

This explanation demonstrates that cleaning and disinfection are separated, dosage is measurable and the process is recordable.

Recommended Process Records

In professional applications, the following information should be recorded:

This record system improves process repeatability and provides strong documentation for internal quality assurance.

Application Approach by Product Group

Not every fruit and vegetable group should be evaluated in the same way.

Firm-Peel and Durable Products

Examples:

• Oranges

• Apples

• Quinces

• Pears

• Dates

For these products, Detox Pro contact time can generally be evaluated within the 5–10 minute range. PAA application can be verified through pilot testing within the 1–3 minute range.

Delicate-Surfaced Products

Examples:

• Tomatoes

• Eggplants

• Peppers

• Cucumbers

For these products, shorter contact times should be preferred, and pilot applications should be conducted to evaluate possible surface softening, loss of gloss or quality changes.

Leafy Products

For leafy products, the process should be designed more carefully. Since the leaf surface area is larger, chemical carryover and rinsing effectiveness should be controlled separately. In this product group, low dosage, short contact time, effective rinsing and residue control are especially important.

Conclusion: A Measurable, Recordable and More Controlled Hygiene Approach

The Ultracol® Detox Pro + Peracetic Acid 15.0 system offers a professional process approach that separates cleaning and disinfection steps in fruit and vegetable washing.

In this system, Detox Pro acts as a pre-cleaner that helps reduce surface dirt and organic load. Peracetic Acid 15.0 is then used in a separate bath for ppm-controlled disinfection.

Its most important advantage over chlorine-based washing processes is that it does not create free chlorine residue and does not carry the risk of chlorine-derived by-products such as chlorate and perchlorate. However, for the process to be safe and technically defensible, correct dosage, contact time, intermediate rinsing, final rinsing and residue control must be managed together.

In summary:

Pre-cleaning + intermediate rinsing + ppm-controlled PAA disinfection + residue control provides a more measurable, more explainable and more professional application approach in fruit and vegetable hygiene.