One green chemistry idea that has gained favor as a disinfection method is
electrolyzed water technology. Electrolyzed water (EW) is a new technology that
emerged in recent years with potential application in foods, mainly in the
microbiological aspects, with variations in application techniques and time of
exposure. In the current study, the antimicrobial effect of acidic, alkaline, and a
mixture of electrolyzed water was assessed as fresh carcasses' surface decontaminant
agent after spraying and swab collection. For this purpose, 30 beef carcasses were
used, ten carcasses for each group, where aerobic bacterial count (ABC) was
investigated pre- and post- spraying; in the local abattoir of El-Shohadaa, Menoufia
governorate, Egypt. Results revealed a significant reduction in the bacterial count in
the treated groups rather than the pre-treated samples at (P<0.05); where the mean
reduction (%) were 98.9, 97.3, and 99.8 for the treated samples with acidic EW,
alkaline EW, and both alkaline and acidic EW, respectively. Referring to the obtained
results, acidic EW showed a higher antibacterial effect than alkaline EW; whereas,
using the alkaline EW followed by acidic EW revealed more decontamination effect
than using each alone. So, EW proved that it is not only an inexpensive
decontamination agent, but also kills microorganisms, and protects the environment
from the adverse impacts of hazardous chemical disinfectants. Therefore, it is highly
recommended to be used in the slaughterhouse as a surface decontamination
technique.