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Microbial inactivation and quality improvement of tomatoes treated by package film with allyl isothiocyanate vapour
Author(s) -
Gao Haiyan,
Wu Weijie,
Chen Hangjun,
Qin Yanhong,
Fang Xiangjun,
Jin Tony Z.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1111/ijfs.13787
Subject(s) - allyl isothiocyanate , shelf life , fusarium oxysporum , inoculation , food science , geotrichum , titratable acid , chemistry , horticulture , antimicrobial , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biochemistry
Summary In‐package sanitisation was developed using polylactic acid (PLA) films with allyl isothiocyanate (AIT) vapour. Tomatoes were artificially inoculated with Escherichia coli , Geotrichum candidum and Fusarium oxysporum and stored in clamshell boxes with the film fixed to the underside of the lid. The changes in bacterial and fungal populations and the quality of tomatoes during storage at 4 and 10 °C were evaluated. The results revealed that the film treatment (4 × 8 cm 2 film in 1 L box) reduced the populations of inoculated bacteria and fungi on tomatoes by 2–3 log CFU g −1 , and then significantly ( P < 0.05) inhibited their growth during the 21‐day storage period at both temperatures. Tomatoes subject to film treatment had fewer changes in quality (colour, firmness, contents of total soluble solid, titratable acids and vitamin C) than the control samples during storage. The antimicrobial PLA film can be used for in‐package sanitisation to extend the shelf‐life of packaged tomatoes or similar perishable vegetables.