Phytic acid with vacuum-ultrasound cleaning: a novel strategy for eradicating internalized Escherichia coli and preserving postharvest quality of lettuce

Key Points

• This method effectively eradicates internalized E. coli in lettuce, leading to improved food safety.
• The combination of phytic acid and vacuum-ultrasound cleaning shows a significant reduction in bacterial load.
• Assessment using a novel cleaning method demonstrates enhanced postharvest quality in lettuce.
• This approach may enable safer consumption of lettuce, potentially impacting food industry standards.