Development of active plastic crate and evaluation of phytopathogenic and pathogenic food spoilage micro-organism inhibition

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 88; no. 11; pp. 1939 - 1942
• Main Authors: Pinto, Michele da Silva, Ferreira Soares, Nilda de Fátima, Filomeno Fontes, Edimar Aparecida, Maia Geraldine, Robson, Baffa Júnior, José Carlos, Ramos Melo, Nathália
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 30-08-2008; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: active packaging; active plastic crate; active plastic crates; antibacterial properties; antimicrobial agents; bacterial diseases of plants; Biological and medical sciences; Clavibacter michiganensis; Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis; Comparative analysis; containers; disease control; E coli; Erwinia carotovora; Escherichia coli; food contact surfaces; Food industries; food pathogens; Food science; food spoilage; food transport; foodborne illness; fruits (food); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Handling, storage, packaging, transport; Hygiene and safety; Listeria monocytogenes; micro-organism safety; Pathogens; Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum; postharvest; produce; produce shipping crates; Staphylococcus aureus; Studies; triclosan; vegetables; Evaluation; Plant pathogen; Postharvest; micro-organism safety; Pathogenic; Development; Conditioning; Inhibition; Safety; Plastics; Active packaging; active plastic crate; Food
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3299

BACKGROUND: The plastic crates used in fruit and vegetable shipping can be vehicles of disease dissemination among production fields, since there is a chance of phytopathogenic micro-organism adhesion on the crate surfaces when in contact with soil, contaminated produce or handling. The aim of this study was to develop an active plastic crate incorporated with a triclosan-based antimicrobial agent and to evaluate its efficiency of micro-organism inhibition.RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus (a human pathogen), Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. michiganensis and Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora (phytopathogens) were the most sensitive micro-organisms when in contact with samples of plastic crate incorporated with 30 g kg⁻¹ of antimicrobial agent. They presented diameters of approximately 5.0, 3.5 and 3.5 cm respectively in the halo test. Mean specific growth rates decreased in samples with 30 g kg⁻¹ of antimicrobial agent, compared with control samples, from 1.13 to 0 h⁻¹ for S. aureus, from 1.26 to 0.47 h⁻¹ for Escherichia coli and from 1.75 to 0.18 h⁻¹ for Listeria monocytogenes. The antimicrobial agent did not influence the mechanical properties of the crates.CONCLUSION: The active plastic crate has great potential to contribute to the safety of horticultural produce by restraining the proliferation of micro-organisms among production fields. Copyright