title: Antimicrobial activity of controlled-release chlorine dioxide gas on fresh blueberries.
abstract: The effect of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas on the safety and quality of blueberries was studied. In vitro studies revealed that both ClO2 gas fumigation and ClO2 direct contact in water killed food pathogen bacterium Escherichia coli and fruit decay pathogen fungus Colletotrichum acutatum. In vivo studies were conducted using noninoculated berries and berries inoculated with postharvest decay and foodborne pathogens. Berries were inoculated with either E. coli (5.2 log CFU/g) or C. acutatum (3.9 log CFU/g). Inoculated fruit were dried for 2 h at room temperature in a climate-controlled laboratory and packed in perforated commercial clamshells, with or without ClO2 pads, and stored at 10°C for up to 9 days. The effects of ClO2 on microbial populations and fruit firmness were monitored during storage. In the inoculation experiment, treatment with ClO2 reduced populations of E. coli and C. acutatum by 2.2 to 3.3 and 1.3 to 2.0 log CFU/g, respectively. For the noninoculated blueberries, the initial total aerobic bacteria count and the yeast and mold count were 4.2 and 4.1 log CFU/g, respectively. ClO2 treatment reduced total aerobic bacteria count and yeast and mold count by 1.5 to 1.8 and 1.3 to 1.7 log CFU/g, respectively. The firmness of both inoculated and noninoculated blueberries was maintained by ClO2 treatment. Thus, controlled-release ClO2 gas fumigation technology shows promise as an effective and practical antimicrobial agent in commercial clamshell packaging of blueberry and other fruits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2001 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34945, USA.
authors.forename: Xiuxiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2001 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34945, USA.
authors.forename: Jinhe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2001 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34945, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ference
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2001 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34945, USA.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2001 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34945, USA. jan.narciso@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narciso
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. kzhou@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Kequan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D017606:Chlorine Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020231:Colletotrichum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005740:Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005520:Food Preservatives; D005740:Gases; D010087:Oxides; C025109:chlorine dioxide