AphidWash uses physical action to remove up to 90 per cent of aphids from salad leaves during the industrial washing process
Fresh-cut machinery specialist Kronen has launched AphidWash, a new processing aid that supports the mechanical removal of aphids during the industrial washing process.
The product, which is based on non-ionic surfactants, reduces the surface tension of the water making it easier to reach between the leaf and the aphid, weakening its adhesion to the product surface.
The removed aphids are then discharged with the wash water flow and extracted from the process water using a suitable filtration system, Kronen explained.
”Visible aphids in the final product can lead to complaints from retailers, increased manual monitoring requirements, or the rejection of batches,” the German group noted.
”At the same time, the severity of the outbreak and the position of the aphids can vary depending on the raw produce, type of salad, and harvesting conditions.
”Processors therefore face the challenge of processing even contaminated raw produce as reliably as possible and achieving consistent product quality,” it said.
”The washing process needs to do more than just release the aphids from the product. It also needs to remove them from the process water both rapidly and continuously so that they do not come into contact with the salad leaves again.”
The mechanism of AphiWash is solely physical, Kronen confirmed, being neither a pesticide, insecticide, nor disinfectant.
Washing with AphidWash can reduce the number of aphids by 85 to 90 per cent, results achieved with a washing time of 30 to 60 seconds and a process temperature of 7°C in combination with water filtration and subsequent rinsing.
Kronen pointed out that the actual removal rate depends on a number of different factors, including the type of salad leaf, severity of the outbreak, dosage, treatment duration, water temperature, mechanical washing intensity, and the system layout.
AphidWash is primarily designed for use on fresh-cut salads and loose salad leaves, such as iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, and lollo rosso, as well as baby-leaf products, salad mixes, and other leafy vegetables.
