Bacteria and fungi on baby spinach leaves at harvest, after processing, and through storage Metagenome
This longitudinal study aimed to deepen our understanding of how the various growing, processing, and storage practices can influence changes in the bacterial and fungal communities on baby spinach, including proliferation of spoilage-causing microorganisms. From December 2021-2022, 269 total baby spinach sample replicates (2 replicates/sample) were obtained from a single supply chain at various stages of the produce supply chain (i.e., after harvest, after commercial washing and packaging, and at four timepoints during postharvest storage) were analyzed using 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing to assess changes in the bacterial and fungal microbiota present on the leaves.