E-beam treatment to guarantee the safety and quality of cherry tomatoes

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2019Source: Innovative Food Science & Emerging TechnologiesAuthor(s): J. Madureira, A. Severino, M. Cojocaru, S. Garofalide, P.M.P. Santos, M.M. Carolino, F.M.A. Margaça, S. Cabo VerdeAbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of electron beam treatment on microbiological parameters and bioactive content of cherry tomatoes in order to assess the feasibility of irradiation as a post-harvest treatment for this fruit. E-beam inactivation studies of natural cherry tomatoes microbiota and inoculated potential foodborne pathogens (Salmonella enterica; Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes) were performed before and after irradiation and at a storage time of 14 days at 4 °C. A 4 log reduction on mesophilic bacterial population, and no detection of filamentous fungi and foodborne inoculated pathogens was achieved after e-beam treatment at 3.6 kGy and storage. Regarding the effects on bioactive content, the achieved data suggested that an e-beam treatment at 3 kGy could preserve the lycopene content and the antioxidant activity of cherry tomatoes extracts, but the storage time is a determinant factor on its bioactivity. Moreover, the results indicated an antiproliferative effect on human lung cancer cells of lycopene extracts from irradiated and stored cherry tomatoes and no cytotoxicity on human non-cancer cells. Overall the results of this comprehensive study support the feasibility of e-beam irradiation as pos...
Source: Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies - Category: Food Science Source Type: research