Short-term wash treatment of produce

1. A method for washing a produce product, comprising:

applying, with a first wash device, a short-term wash treatment to the produce product;

applying, with a rinse transition component downstream of the first wash device, a rinse solution to at least partially rinse the short-term wash treatment off the produce product, the rinse solution being configured to chemically neutralize the short-term wash treatment; and

applying, with a second wash device downstream of the rinse transition component, a wash treatment to the produce product, wherein the short-term wash treatment is chemically different from the wash treatment, wherein the rinse solution is chemically different from the wash treatment and the short-term wash treatment, wherein the first wash device applies the short-term wash treatment to the produce product for a shorter duration than the second wash device applies the wash treatment, and wherein the rinse transition component comprises:

a first stage configured to use first water from a first source; and

a second stage downstream of the first stage and configured to use second water from a second source different from the first source, wherein the second source is from the second wash device downstream of the rinse transition component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-term wash treatment provides a supplemental wash lethality of greater than 1 log against microbes on the produce product as compared to a lethality provided by the wash treatment alone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the short-term wash treatment comprises a coordinating acid and silver ions;

the coordinating acid is one selected from a group consisting of a citric acid and a lactic acid and is from 3% to 5% by weight of the short-term wash treatment; and

the silver ions are from 10 to 50 ppm by weight of the short-term wash treatment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises an acidulant and a polyol.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-term wash treatment remains on the produce product for a pretreatment time between 3 seconds and 1.5 minutes at a temperature between 30° F. and 50° F. such that the short-term wash treatment does not damage the produce product beyond a damage threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the short-term wash treatment comprises applying the short-term wash treatment to the produce product for a period at or below a damage threshold time beyond which the short-term wash treatment damages the produce product beyond a damage threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises lactic acid and glycerin.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises an acidulant and propylene glycol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first source is an independent source, different from the first wash device and the second wash device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first stage or the second stage comprises a spray device and wherein applying the rinse solution comprises spraying the rinse solution from the spray device.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the acidulant is one selected from a group consisting of a phosphoric acid and a lactic acid;

the acidulant is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment;

the polyol is one selected from a group consisting of a glycerin and a propylene glycol; and

the polyol is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lactic acid is between 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment and wherein the glycerin is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the short-term wash treatment further comprises silver dihydrogen citrate.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein applying the short-term wash treatment comprises applying the short-term wash treatment to the produce product for a period at or below a damage threshold time beyond which the short-term wash treatment damages the produce product beyond a damage threshold.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the silver dihydrogen citrate is between 10 and 50 ppm of the short-term wash treatment.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the lactic acid is between 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment and wherein the glycerin is from 0.1% to 10% by weight of the short-term wash treatment.

17. A method for washing a produce product, comprising:

applying, with a first wash device, a short-term wash treatment to the produce product;

receiving, at a rinse transition component downstream of the first wash device, one or more rinse solutions from at least a first source;

applying, with the rinse transition component, a first rinse solution of the one or more rinse solutions to at least partially rinse the short-term wash treatment off the produce product, the first rinse solution being configured to chemically neutralize the short-term wash treatment;

receiving, at a second wash device downstream of the rinse transition component, a wash treatment from a second source, the second source being different than the first source; and

applying, with the second wash device, the wash treatment to the produce product, wherein the short-term wash treatment is chemically different from the wash treatment, wherein the first wash device applies the short-term wash treatment to the produce product for a shorter duration than the second wash device applies the wash treatment, and wherein the rinse transition component comprises:

a first stage configured to use first water from a third source in the first rinse solution that chemically neutralizes the short-term wash treatment; and

a second stage downstream of the first stage and configured to use second water from the second wash device in a second rinse solution of the one or more rinse solutions, wherein the second rinse solution rinses the produce product.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the rinse transition component comprises a spray device.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the third source is the first source.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the third source is an independent source, different from the first wash device and the second wash device.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the short-term wash treatment comprises an acidulant and propylene glycol.