Effect of Electronic Cold-PasteurizationTM (ECPTM) on Fruit Quality and Postharvest Diseases during Blueberry Storage

Abstract

With the growing popularity of blueberries and the associated increase in blueberry imports and exports worldwide, delivering fruit with high quality, longer shelf-life, and meeting phytosanitary requirements has become increasingly important. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of electron beam irradiation using a new Electronic Cold-PasteurizationTM (ECPTM) technology on fruit quality, microbial safety, and postharvest disease development in two southern highbush blueberry cultivars, ‘Farthing’ and ‘Rebel’. Fruit packed in clamshells were subjected to four levels of ECPTM irradiation (0, 0.15, 0.5, and 1.0 kGy) and evaluated for fruit quality attributes, surface microbial load, and postharvest disease incidence during various storage times after treatment and cold storage. Overall, there was no effect of irradiation on visual fruit quality in either cultivar. Fruit firmness and skin toughness in ‘Farthing’ was reduced following irradiation at 1.0 kGy, but no such effect was observed in ‘Rebel’. Other fruit quality characteristics such as fruit weight, total soluble solids content, or titratable acidity were not affected. Irradiation at 1.0 kGy significantly reduced total aerobic bacteria and yeast on the fruit surface, and in the case of ‘Rebel’, also levels of total coliform bacteria. There was no significant effect of irradiation on postharvest disease incidence in these trials. Overall, data from this study suggests that an irradiation dose lower than 1.0 kGy using ECPTM can be useful for phytosanitary treatment in blueberry fruit while avoiding undesirable effects on fruit quality in a cultivar-dependent manner.

The use of pullulan coatings with propolis extract to extend the shelf life of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) fruit

“…and Trichoderma sp. (Mehra et al ., 2013; Cao et al ., 2017; Nambeesan et al ., 2018; Sheng et al ., 2019). Blueberries are also susceptible to contamination by various sources which are associated with the diversity of the production chain and the harvesting process applied by humans (Cao et al ., 2017).…”

Electron‐beam irradiation effect on the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory parameters of refrigerated raspberries

“…Interestingly, this technology is economical and ecological and has several advantages over other food irradiation sources (X-rays, gamma) and other conventional preservation techniques (drying, freeze-drying, pasteurization, etc.). E-beam irradiation is known to be highly effective in reducing harmful bacteria in fruits, vegetables, and other food while preserving taste, aroma, texture, safety, and nutritional content (Duan et al, 2010;Fernandes et al, 2012Fernandes et al, , 2014Nambeesan et al, 2018;Panou et al, 2019;Ramakrishman et al, 2019;Schmidt et al, 2006). Indeed, e-beam treatment could prove to be a potential alternative to chemical agents used for conservation purposes of various fruits and vegetables (Cabo verde et al, 2013;Fernandes et al, 2014;Resurreccion et al, 1995).…”

Blue Light Does Not Affect Fruit Quality or Disease Development on Ripe Blueberry Fruit During Postharvest Cold Storage

“…At each time point, fruit from a single aluminum pan per replicate was used for quality assessment. Fruit quality attributes assessed included visual assessment, measurements of texture, weight, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solid (TSS) content, total anthocyanins and color, as described in detail in Nambeesan et al [15]. Briefly, for visual assessment, 30 berries per replicate were examined and scored for symptoms of bruising such as tears, juice leakiness, dents or signs of mold and expressed as a percentage of defect-free fruit.…”

“…The juice was centrifuged with a benchtop centrifuge (Allegra X-22, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Indianapolis, IN) for 10 min at 3901 g. The resulting supernatant was filtered using cheesecloth. TSS and TA measurements were performed as described in Nambeesan et al [15]. Total anthocyanins were determined according to Lee et al [36].…”

“…Currently, pre-harvest fungicide treatments are used to prevent postharvest pathogen-induced decay [13]. Other potential postharvest treatments to prolong shelf-life and reduce fungal growth include natural edible coatings such as chitosan, as well as irradiation [7,9,[14][15][16][17].…”