Design and Construction and Energy Consumption Study of a New Electrolyzed Water Cell Generator Prototype for Food Disinfection

This study explores the feasibility of producing electrolyzed water (EW) for post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables as a new substitute for current chemical products. A prototype generator using tap water and NaCl solution was tested for EW’s sanitization efficiency, energy, and economic costs. In vitro tests on Penicillium e., Aspergillus n., Botrytis c., and Alternaria a. assessed EW pH, chlorine concentration, electro-oxidative potential, pathogen contact time, and energy consumption. Optimal results were achieved with a pH of 4.6, electro-oxidative potential of 188 mV, active chlorine concentration of 3.4 mg/L, and a contact time of 1–2 min. The prototype produced 10.0 L of EW in 1 h, consuming 0.11 kWh of electricity. Real-scale energy consumption was 545 kWh/m3 EW, costing 12.51 euro/m3. The study concludes that optimizing EW production can reduce energy consumption, making it a viable alternative for industrial sanitization of fruits and vegetables.