Ultraviolet-C Light Sanitization of English Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Packaged in Polyethylene Film.
Food safety is becoming an increasing concern in the United States. This study investigated the effects of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light as a postpackaging bactericidal treatment on the quality of English cucumber packaged in polyethylene (PE) film. Escherichia coli k-12 was used as a surrogate microbe. The microbial growth and physical properties of packaged cucumbers were analyzed during a 28-d storage period at 5 °C. Inoculating packaged cucumbers treated at 23 °C for 6 min with UV-C (560 mJ/cm(2) ) resulted in a 1.60 log CFU/g reduction. However, this treatment had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the water vapor transmission rate or oxygen transmission rate of the PE film. Results show that UV-C light treatment delayed the loss of firmness and yellowing of English cucumber up to 28 d at 5 °C. In addition, UV-C light treatment extended the shelf life of treated cucumber 1 wk longer compared to untreated cucumbers. Electron microscopy images indicate that UV-C light treatment influences the morphology of the E. coli k-12 cells. Findings demonstrate that treating cucumbers with UV-C light following packaging in PE film can reduce bacterial populations significantly and delay quality loss. This technology may also be effective for other similarly packaged fresh fruits and vegetables.
School of Food Science, Washington State Univ, P.O. Box 646376, Pullman, Wash, 99164, U.S.A.
Abdussamad R
AR
Tarek
School of Food Science, Washington State Univ, P.O. Box 646376, Pullman, Wash, 99164, U.S.A.
Barbara A
BA
Rasco
Biological Systems Engineering Dept, Washington State Univ, P.O. Box 646120, Pullman, Wash., 99164-6120, U.S.A.
Shyam S
SS
Sablani
D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000382:microbiology*; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000528:radiation effects; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging; D061353:Food Storage; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D020959:Polyethylene
Ultraviolet-C; food safety; kinetics; polymer packaging