# Innovative Continuous Sanitization of Fresh Produce Harvesting Equipment

> **NIH FDA R43** · EN SOLUCION, INC. · 2023 · $295,922

## Abstract

Recent foodborne illness outbreaks traced to contaminated field harvesting equipment have
highlighted the need for incorporating improved sanitization practices at the time of harvest. Field-
harvested specialty crops represent 50% of the top ten foods linked to major recalls and outbreaks
over the past five years. Proper sanitization of outdoor harvest equipment is made complicated
by operational and environmental challenges which impede regular, periodic cleaning of operating
equipment. Current sanitization solutions include application of environmentally damaging
chemicals like chlorine or cost prohibitive technological solutions like UV light. Chemical-based
solutions face further constraints due to limited water availability and the necessity of minimizing
the introduction of chemicals to the soil through spilled water. En Solución proposes a cost-
effective, easily implemented, chemical and residual-free, continuous sanitization system that
utilizes ozone nanobubbles to neutralize pathogens and biofilms on key surfaces of field
harvesting equipment. Ozone, in both its gaseous and aqueous phases, is generally recognized
as safe by the FDA and has been shown to be highly effectively at reducing microbial
contamination; however, operational inefficiency and environmental safety concerns have
precluded widespread adoption of aqueous ozone by the agriculture industry. Unlike traditional
macro-sized bubbles from existing technologies, the nanobubbles produced by En Solución’s
technology have the remarkable ability to remain stable in high concentrations for months at a
time and allow for high gas infusion rates and retention times. En Solución will deliver a fully
automated system that provides continuous sanitization for field harvesting equipment to address
the shortcomings of current approaches: it will provide ozone in concentrations proven effective
for pathogen neutralization and biofilm eradication and prevention, with nearly instantaneous
sanitization; it will minimize water usage via recycling and precision dosing; and it is harmless
when spilled on fields (the ozone in the entrained nanobubbles will decay naturally to oxygen on
the order of half an hour). During the Phase I project, En Solución will develop a field-scale ozone
nanobubble sanitization unit and fully validate the technology via pilot implementation at an
operating farm and comprehensive third party microbial testing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10822320
- **Project number:** 1R43FD008038-01
- **Recipient organization:** EN SOLUCION, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** DIRK THIELE
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $295,922
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-29 → 2024-09-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10822320

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10822320, Innovative Continuous Sanitization of Fresh Produce Harvesting Equipment (1R43FD008038-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10822320. Licensed CC0.

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