title: Influence of electro-activated solutions of weak organic acid salts on microbial quality and overall appearance of blueberries during storage.
abstract: The aim of this work was to study the potential of diluted electro-activated solutions of weak organic acid salts (potassium acetate, potassium citrate and calcium lactate) to extend the shelf life of blueberries during post-harvest storage. The sanitizing capacity of these solutions was studied against pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 as well as phytopathogenic fungi A. alternata, F. oxysporum and B. cinerea. The results showed that a 5-min treatment of inoculated blueberries with electro-activated solutions resulted in a 4 log CFU/g reduction in Listeria monocytogenes for all solutions. For E. coli O157:H7, the electro-activated potassium acetate and potassium citrate solutions achieved a decrease of 3.5 log CFU/g after 5 min of berry washing. The most important fungus reduction was found when blueberries were washed with an electro-activated solution of potassium acetate and a NaOCl solution. After 5 min of blueberry washing with an electro-activated potassium acetate solution, a very high reduction effect was observed for A. alternata, F. oxysporum and B. cinerea, which showed survival levels of only 2.2 ± 0.16, 0.34 ± 0.15 and 0.21 ± 0.16 log CFU/g, respectively. Regarding the effect of the washing on the organoleptic quality of blueberries, the obtained results showed no negative effect on the product color or textural profile. Finally, this work suggests that washing with electro-activated solutions of weak organic acid salts can be used to enhance the shelf-life of blueberries during post-harvest storage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Department of Soil Sciences and Agri-Food Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Viacheslav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liato
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Department of Soil Sciences and Agri-Food Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Riadh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Department of Soil Sciences and Agri-Food Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: mohammed.aider@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aïder
mesh_terms: D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D063427:Food Quality; D061353:Food Storage / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D007773:Lactates / Q000494:pharmacology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects*; D019347:Potassium Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D019357:Potassium Citrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite
chemical_list: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D004202:Disinfectants; D007773:Lactates; C110051:calcium lactate; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D019357:Potassium Citrate; D019347:Potassium Acetate
keywords: Blueberries; Electro-activation; Foodborne pathogens; Phytopathogenic fungi; Post-harvest storage; Quality