SBP 23 - Development of a Smart Self Sanitizing Refrigeration System for the Extension of Food Shelf Life

This research project focused on the development of a Smart Self-Sanitizing Refrigeration System to extend the shelf life of food products. This study compared the effectiveness of two No-Rinse sanitizers (RTU-200 and Chef 6) in reducing microbial contamination and preserving food quality. Today, there are documented reports and evident use of deodorizer or odor eliminator in home kitchen refrigerators and commercial refrigerators. However, there are no documented reports or research on automatic or programmable sanitizing refrigerators. Odor elimination is NOT sanitization! So, we decided on a No-Rinse sanitizer because we wanted zero human influence. That is, to mimic a refrigerator where sanitizers are dispensed automatically reducing the need for humans to do so weekly or monthly. The experiment involved two refrigerators—one self-sanitizing and the other without a sanitizer (control). The methodology included setting up the refrigerators, installing sanitizer dispensers, placing food samples, and using various media for microbial analysis. The experiment ran for a total of 12 weeks with regular observation and swabbing of food sample surfaces and the internal surface of the refrigerator by sterile sticks. The results showed a significant decrease in microbial growth in the self-sanitizing refrigerator, supporting the hypothesis that sanitizer treatment extends the shelf life of food samples. When the two sanitizers were compared for effectiveness, the Chef6 sanitizer was more effective. Overall, the outcome of this research project provides practical application to the food industry in the area of time and cost saving in the fresh produce industry. Downtime lost to manually cleaning the refrigerator and money paid for this purpose can be eliminated. We hope that in the near future refrigerator manufacturers can take the opportunity of this research to make an automated self-sanitizing refrigerator that can be used commercially and in our home kitchens. So, there is a potential research collaboration to further this work between food science technology and mechanical engineering program at SETAS Centennial College to fabricate an automatic or programmable self-dispensing sanitizing refrigerator prototype. The overall goal is to ensure food manufacturers are able to cut costs, and that despite our busy lifestyles, our foods can remain fresh, wholesome, and safe for a longer time while also contributing to waste reduction.