Microbial control in fresh horticultural products using active paper sheets with essential oils. A case study in lemon cv. Verna

Resumen

Active packaging with essential oils (EOs) encapsulated in β-cyclodextrins is a strategy to achieve a controlled EOs release, whose antimicrobial and antioxidant properties are widely known. The microbial loads of lemons (cv. Verna) packaged in a box including an active paper sheet (EOs encapsulated in β-cyclodextrins) was studied during refrigerated storage (8 ºC) with supplementary commercialization periods (5 days at room temperature). Lemons preserved with active sheets showed 0.5 and ≈3 log CFU cm -2 lower mesophilic loads than control samples after 5 weeks of refrigeration and their respective commercialization periods. In addition, the active sheets reduced Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts/molds growth by ≈1, 1.23, and 0.1 log CFU cm -2, respectively. On the other side, the physicochemical quality (soluble solid content, pH and titratable acidity) of lemons was not affected by the active packaging. In conclusion, the active packaging preserved the microbial quality in lemon ...