Improved Sanitation Methods for Raw Tomato Fruit

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Improved value for packed tomato fruit due to less decay, fewer safety hazards and better quality. This benefits growers, packers and the consuming public. A sanitizing treatment is created that minimizes microbial hazards on the raw fruit prior to fresh processing. This leads to improved shelf-life for the processed product along with improved safety. Shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables are protected from microbial attack thereby leading to a safer product, which has better quality and a longer shelf-life.

<P>

APPROACH: Compare aqueous solutions of chlorine dioxide and ozone with the standard chlorinated water in simulated flume or as wash treatments. The ability to prevent cross-contamination will be used as a measure of efficacy. Apply chlorine dioxide gas to contaminated fruit under various scenarios ranging from small doses applied continuously over several days to short bursts applied for several minutes. Prior to actual use of inoculated fruit, aqueous solutions of KI can be used to model movement of the oxidizers around and within a simulation of a carton of tomatoes. The doses will be delivered in the carton as well as outside the carton. For in-carton introduction, evaluate how air movement outside the carton affects gas distribution. Store contaminated fruit under an atmosphere of ozone (ca. 0.05 ppm) created by an EMS system. Monitor microbial populations on the fruit surface as well is in areas that naturally harbor larger populations such as a tomato stem scar. Treated fruit will be evaluated for control of decay, reduction of total aerobic microorganism population and ripening characteristics.