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Development of active plastic crate and evaluation of phytopathogenic and pathogenic food spoilage micro‐organism inhibition
Author(s) -
Pinto Michele da Silva,
Ferreira Soares Nilda de Fátima,
Filomeno Fontes Edimar Aparecida,
Maia Geraldine Robson,
Baffa Júnior José Carlos,
Ramos Melo Nathália
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.3299
Subject(s) - antimicrobial , food spoilage , listeria monocytogenes , crate , clavibacter michiganensis , food science , erwinia , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacteria , pathogen , mechanical engineering , genetics , engineering
BACKGROUND: The plastic crates used in fruit and vegetable shipping can be vehicles of disease dissemination among production fields, since there is a chance of phytopathogenic micro‐organism adhesion on the crate surfaces when in contact with soil, contaminated produce or handling. The aim of this study was to develop an active plastic crate incorporated with a triclosan‐based antimicrobial agent and to evaluate its efficiency of micro‐organism inhibition. RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus (a human pathogen), Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. michiganensis and Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora (phytopathogens) were the most sensitive micro‐organisms when in contact with samples of plastic crate incorporated with 30 g kg −1 of antimicrobial agent. They presented diameters of approximately 5.0, 3.5 and 3.5 cm respectively in the halo test. Mean specific growth rates decreased in samples with 30 g kg −1 of antimicrobial agent, compared with control samples, from 1.13 to 0 h −1 for S. aureus , from 1.26 to 0.47 h −1 for Escherichia coli and from 1.75 to 0.18 h −1 for Listeria monocytogenes . The antimicrobial agent did not influence the mechanical properties of the crates. CONCLUSION: The active plastic crate has great potential to contribute to the safety of horticultural produce by restraining the proliferation of micro‐organisms among production fields. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry