Impact of Atmospheric Plasma Generated by a DBD Device on Quality-Related Attributes of “Abate Fetel” Pear Fruit.

Abstract The effects of gas plasma generated by a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) device on “Abate Fetel” fresh pears were assessed following exposure times from 10 to 90 min. In particular the decontamination effi cacy towards the indigenous microflora naturally occurring on the surface of the fruit was evaluated. The main results showed that total mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds had different inactivation dynamics. However, maximum cell decreases of 2.5 Log CFU/fruit were achieved for all the microbial groups after 90 min of treatment at a relative humidity level of 60% (22°C). Immediately after the treatments, no significant effects were observed on the measured quality traits. After storage for 5 days at 20°C signifi cant changes were detected only in the peel (colour and antioxidant capacity) of fruit samples treated for 90 min. The Magness-Taylor fl esh fi rmness (MTf), the soluble solid content (SSC) and the antioxidant capacity of fruits were unaffected by the tested treatments