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INFLUENCE OF WASHING TREATMENT ON NATIVE MICROFLORA AND ESCHERICHIA COLI POPULATION OF INOCULATED CANTALOUPES
Author(s) -
UKUKU DIKE O.,
PILIZOTA VLASTA,
SAPERS GERALD M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of food safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1745-4565
pISSN - 0149-6085
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4565.2001.tb00306.x
Subject(s) - hydrogen peroxide , inoculation , escherichia coli , chlorine , population , antimicrobial , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , biology , horticulture , medicine , biochemistry , environmental health , organic chemistry , gene
The influence of chlorine or hydrogen peroxide treatment on populations of Escherichia coli 25922 on the external surface of inoculated cantaloupe was investigated. Surface treatment with 70% EtOH, followed by immersion in 10 8 CFU/mL E. coli inoculum deposited an average of 4.4 log 10 CFU/cm 2 cell population on the cantaloupe surface. The efficncy of washing inoculated cantaloupe was dependent on storage interval between inoculation and treatment. Dipping the cantaloupes in solutions containing 1000 mg/L chlorine or 5% peroxide for 5 min, within 24 h of inoculation, caused a 2 log 10 CFU/cm 2 reduction of the indigenous surface microflora and a 3–4.0 log 10 CFU/cm 2 reduction in E. coli. The efficacy was less when the interval between inoculation and treatment exceeded 24 h. Chlorine appeared in be a better antimicrobial agent than hydrogen peroxide against F. coli ATCC 25922 inoculated on cantaloupe surfaces while hydrogen peroxide was better in reducing surface microflora of cantaloupe.