Work

Parabens in combination with a commercial coating can enhance the safety and preserve the quality of fresh peaches

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Edible coatings are used commercially to improve peach quality but can protect pathogens, especially Listeria monocytogenes . The first objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of supplementing 10.0 and 20.0 mg/mL methyl- and propyl-parabens (2:1, w:w) in a commercial stone fruit coating for inhibition of pathogens inoculated on fresh peaches during 20-day storage at 0 °C and 85 % relative humidity. The reduction was <1 log CFU/fruit on day 0. After 20 days, the coating with 20.0 and 0 mg/mL parabens led to 3.05 and 1.24 log CFU/fruit reduction of a Salmonella cocktail, respectively, while the respective reduction of a L. monocytogenes cocktail was 1.95 and 1.41 CFU/fruit. To eliminate the potential interference of the coating components on paraben activity, the second objective investigated the efficacy of first spraying peaches with 10.0 or 20.0 mg/mL paraben solutions, followed by applying the coating. More than 3 log CFU/fruit reductions of Salmonella and >2 log CFU/fruit reductions of L. monocytogenes were achieved on day 0 and throughout the storage. Additionally, parabens had no negative impact on the color and weight loss of peaches throughout the storage. The findings suggest the potential of parabens to improve the safety of stone fruits.

Source: LWT

DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2025.118460

Authors: Fatima Reyes-Jurado, Kriza Faye Calumba, Thomas G. Denes, Qixin Zhong

Institutions: University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of the Philippines Mindanao

Language: English

Topic: Listeria monocytogenes in Food Safety

Subfield: Biotechnology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240