Before those sweet and savory pecans make their way into your pecan pie or other holiday treat, they may go through an antimicrobial wash to reduce pathogens. But why would that be needed?
“In‐shell pecans are typically harvested after falling from trees to the ground, which presents a potential route of contamination for foodborne pathogens from soil contact,” said Jennifer Acuff, assistant professor of food microbiology and safety in the food science department for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
According to the 2024 Arkansas Agriculture Profile, Arkansas ranks eighth in the United States for pecan production, with 9,766 acres of pecan trees reported in 2022. Pecans are harvested from early September through November.
To identify best practices for microbial safety in the pecan market, Acuff conducted a study to evaluate methods of sanitizing pecans against Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, also known as STEC. The study was published in the Journal of Food Protection.
