Fruits and vegetables constitute a vital part of a healthy diet, and their consumption has consistently grown over the last several decades. However, fresh produce has been increasingly linked to foodborne disease outbreaks, and it is estimated that ~ 48% of foodborne illnesses are associated with fresh produce. Although a variety of FDA-approved disinfectants, including chlorine has been employed for inactivating pathogens on produce, their antimicrobial efficacy varies and is compromised in the presence of organic matter. Thus, there is an increasing interest for identifying effective, natural and ecofriendly strategies for controlling pathogens on fresh produce. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) constitute a heterogeneous group of microorganisms found in diverse environments, including plants, animals and humans. LAB are classified as generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and their use in the biological control of pathogens on fresh produce has received attention in recent years. Our research revealed that spraying Lactobacillus plantarum (PB9, B-4496, 42-3) reduced Salmonella populations on cantaloupe surface by ~ 4.0 log CFU during storage (p&lt;0.05). In another study, we observed that pre-harvest treatment of cantaloupes with LAB cultures of L. plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus reduced Listeria innocua by &gt; 2.0 log CFU/cm2 on day 5 post inoculation. Additionally, post-harvest treatment with LAB cultures reduced L. monocytogenes by &gt;2.0 log CFU/cm2 on cantaloupes after 7 days of storage at 25°C (P &lt; 0.05). Similarly, other researchers found that a combination of low oxygen modified atmosphere packaging with L. plantarum CICC 6257 significantly inhibited L. monocytogenes growth on cabbages. Collectively these results highlight the potential use of LAB as a natural strategy for enhancing the microbiological safety of fresh produce. This presentation will summarize LAB strain selection, modes of application, mechanisms of action and other criteria to be addressed before using LAB as biopreservative agents of fresh produce.

Enhancing the microbial safety of fresh produce using lactic acid bacteria

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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