A local company has come up with a new method for washing food that it hopes will significantly reduce food-borne illness. St. Paul-based Ecolab president and CEO Al Schumann says washing fruits and vegetables with periocidic acid kills more germs on fruits and vegetables than the usual chlorine wash. Ecolab president and CEO Al Schumann. Ecolab says the periocidic acid poses no threat to consumers and isn't harmful to the environment. Sun 28-MAY 11:03:01 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001