Method for removing coronavirus from food and food-contact surfaces

Method for Inactivating Human Coronavirus on Food and Food-Contact Surfaces Using Chlorine Dioxide and UV-C at Target-Specific Concentrations

This technology provides a method for controlling human coronavirus (HCoV) on food or food-contact surfaces using chlorine dioxide (ClO2) treatment or UV-C irradiation. Chlorine dioxide is applied at 100–200 ppm for food and 300–500 ppm for contact surfaces for 1–5 minutes, while UV-C is applied at a dosage of 10–1800 mJ.

Coronaviruses can survive on plastic or stainless steel surfaces for over five days, and up to a month at low temperatures, posing a risk of transmission via contaminated fomites. Heat treatment is unsuitable for fresh food, and sodium hypochlorite, commonly used on food-contact surfaces, is inappropriate for food use as it requires concentrations over 1000 ppm to achieve even minimal reduction in infectivity. Furthermore, UV-C efficacy and dosage standards have historically been inconsistent.

This technology optimizes chlorine dioxide concentrations for food versus contact surfaces to achieve rapid viral reduction, and establishes UV-C dosage ranges for both types of surfaces using a non-thermal approach. Applicable foods include vegetables, meat, and fish, while contact surfaces include stainless steel and polypropylene. This method can be used in fresh produce and seafood processing, disinfection of cutting boards and workstations in commercial kitchens, and sanitization of imported frozen food packaging, effectively blocking viral transmission through food supply chains without compromising freshness.

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Key Features:

• A step of treating human coronavirus on food with chlorine dioxide at a concentration of 100 to 200 ppm for 1 to 5 minutes
• A step of treating human coronavirus on food-contact surfaces with chlorine dioxide at a concentration of 300 to 500 ppm for 1 to 5 minutes
• A step of treating human coronavirus on food or food-contact surfaces with UV-C at a dosage of 10 to 1800 mJ
• A coronavirus control method targeting food, such as vegetables, meat, and fish, and contact surfaces, such as stainless steel or polypropylene

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This invention was developed with research support from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding the survival characteristics and inactivation of the COVID-19 virus.

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