New non-chemical postharvest technologies reducing berry contamination

Abstract

© Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, 2015. One of the most important postharvest diseases of strawberry and raspberry is grey mould, caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr. New non-chemical food safety technologies reducing berry rots and extending storage time were tested. Photosensitization is an innovative method for inhibition of pathogens in berry and is based on the interaction of light (λ = 400 nm, 20 mW cm-2) and photoactive compound (chlorophyllin derivative). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the chlorophyllin-based photosensitization on the reduction of grey mould (B. cinerea) in postharvest strawberry and raspberry fruits. The berries were soaked in a treatment solution for 1 hour and then exposed to prototype (light) for 30 minutes. The obtained data indicated that chlorophyllin derivative inhibited grey mould infection on fruits. The infection of B. cinerea in strawberries after a 6-day storage decreased by 8% and in raspberries after 1-day storage it decreased by 3%. The chlorophyllin had no impact on the visual quality and nutritional properties of strawberries and raspberries.