Methods for washing and processing fruits, vegetables, and other produce with medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid compositions

A method of reducing a microbial population in an aqueous stream used for transporting or processing food product, the method comprising:

• adding to the aqueous stream a medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition;
• and reducing the microbial population in the aqueous stream;
• the added medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition consisting essentially of:
• about 1 to about 3 wt-% of peroxyoctanoic acid;
• about 2 to about 4 wt-% octanoic acid;
• about 5 to about 60 wt-% water;
• about 0.2 to about 5 wt-% of a anionic sulfonate surfactant;
• about 0.6 to about 10 wt-% H2O2;
• about 25 to about 30 wt-% phosphoric acid;
• and
• about 0.1 to about 5 wt-% sequestrant;
• the composition comprising at least about 2 parts by weight of medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid for each 7 parts by weight of medium chain carboxylic acid;
• the composition being a microemulsion, the microemulsion comprising droplets of a diameter of approximately 100 nanometers or less.