Lettuce growing in the field. (Getty stock photo)

Shining a Light on Food Safety

ARS researchers are helping to make our produce safer to eat. Researchers in Wyndmoor, PA., are working to combat potential E-coli risks that can occur when consuming postharvest Romaine lettuce. While the produce industry employs chlorine-based chemical sanitizer washes to reduce contamination, safer and more effective methods are needed.

ARS researchers have developed a new method that uses a very short 10-second pulsed light treatment, followed by 2-minute wash in an antimicrobial solution, which contains organic acid and a natural antibiotic, a type of antimicrobial peptide, to inhibit bacterial growth. Learn more...

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.