Compositions and methods of treating edible matter and substrates therefor

A method for reducing at least one of:

• a) edible matter decay, b) pathogen load on a substrate;
• the method comprising:
• providing an edible matter or a substrate;
• and
• contacting said edible matter or said substrate with a composition comprising an effective amount of a sanitizing agent, wherein said sanitizing agent consists of:
• a) an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, urea hydrogen peroxide, sodium peroxide, calcium peroxide, sodium percarbonate, ozone, sodium periodate, sodium persulfate, ammonium persulfate, sodium perborate, silver (II) oxide, chlorine dioxide, benzoyl peroxide, a ketone peroxide, a peroxydicarbonate, a peroxyester, a dialkyl peroxide, a hydroperoxide, a peroxyketal or any combination thereof;
• and
• b) phosphorous acid, a salt of phosphorous acid, or both;
• wherein said edible matter decay is selected from the group consisting of:
• loss from pathogen load, decomposing, sprouting, loss from a disease, rotting, dehydration, blackheart formation, loss from a higher organism or any combination thereof.