Preventing Fruit Spoilage

CHICAGOAntimicrobials of animal, plant and microbial origin can be used to effectively reduce pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in fresh-cut fruits and fruit juices, according to a study published in the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.

According to researchers at the University of Lleida in Spain, the use of these compounds at a commercial level is still limited due to several factors, including impact on sensory attributes or, in some cases, regulatory issues concerning their use. Extensive research on the effects of each antimicrobial on food-sensory characteristics is still needed so antimicrobial substances of natural origin can be regarded as feasible alternatives to synthetic ones.

The different natural antimicrobials of animal, plant, and microbial origin, directly or indirectly added to fresh-cut fruits and fruit juices, can effectively reduce or inhibit pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, thus representing a good alternative to the use of traditional antimicrobials, says lead researcher Olga Martin-Belloso. However, the extraction and purification of some natural antimicrobials can be difficult, and expensive isolation and purification procedures that may avoid denaturalization, breakdown, volatilization, and/or loss of functional properties of active compounds, as well as safety and toxicology evaluations, could be implicated.