Improved Sanitizing Treatments for Fresh Tomatoes

• Autores: G. M. Sapers, Donyel M. Jones
• Localización: Journal of food science, ISSN 0022-1147, Vol. 71, Nº 7, 2006
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Fresh tomatoes repeatedly have been associated with major outbreaks of salmonellosis; however, efforts to disinfect them with chlorine or other sanitizing agents have had only mixed success. Our objective was to determine whether hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatments would be more efficacious than conventional methods in disinfecting tomatoes containing human pathogens and, at the same time, be noninjurious to quality. Tomatoes were dip inoculated with Escherichia coli NRRL B-766 or a Salmonella cocktail and then held for 0, 24, or 48 h at 4 or 24 °C prior to treatment. Treatments included 200 ppm chlorine (Cl2) at 20 °C for 3 min, water at 20 °C for 3 min or at 60 °C for 2 min, 1% H2O2 at 20 °C for 15 min or at 60 °C for 2 min, and 5% H2O2 at 60 °C for 2, 3, or 5 min. In tomatoes held 48 h postinoculation, the chlorine treatment was only marginally more effective than an equivalent water rinse in reducing the target bacterial population, while the hot water and 1% H2O2 treatments achieved reductions no greater than 1.3 logs. However, application of 5% H2O2 at 60 °C resulted in larger reductions. Efficacy of all treatments decreased as the time interval between inoculation and treatment increased. Greater reductions could not be achieved with 5% H2O2 at 60 °C by increasing the contact time or addition of surfactants, and these treatments caused some quality loss.