rinses; steam pasteurization or steam vacuum treatment;
trimming; a variety of chemical rinses including chlorine
or chlorine dioxide, ozonated or electrolyzed water, trisodium
phosphate, or acidified calcium sulfate; organic acid
rinses (e.g., lactic, acetic) with or without surfactants; and
γ-irradiation or electron beam irradiation. In addition,
antimicrobial compounds may be added to many RTE
products, including sodium or potassium lactate, sodium
diacetate, sodium citrate, and a variety of antioxidant
compounds that also exhibit antimicrobial properties. Not
surprisingly, the combination of more than one intervention
treatment often has been found to produce a greater
antimicrobial effect than any single treatment, often
working synergistically. The latter has been referred to
as hurdle technology