Photosensitization as novel appoach to decontminate strawberry fruit surfaces

Proceedings of the International Conference “Environmentally friendly and safe technologies for quality of fruit and vegetables”, held in Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal, on January 14-16, 2009. This Conference was a join activity with COST Action 924.The methods recently applied for inactivation of food pathogens are not always efficient, safe for humans, or ecologically friendly. In this context, photosensitization might serve as a promising antibacterial tool. Data obtained in this study indicate that the important food pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus can be inactivated after photosensitization by 6 log in vitro. Moreover spores of B. cereus as well as biofilms of L. monocytogenes are susceptible to this treatment. Decontamination of strawberries from L. monocytogenes by photosensitization as well as from aerobic mezophylls reached 3 log. The shelf-life of treated berries in comparison with non-treated control strawberries increased by 40%. No significant changes of antioxidant activity in strawberries was detected