Effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum) pomace extract as a washing agent on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on fresh produce

• Published in: International journal of food science & technology 2017-10, Vol.52 (10), p.2295-2302
• Main Authors: Kang, Ji‐Hoon, Song, Kyung Bin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antimicrobial agents; Chlorination; Deactivation; Fruits; Inactivation; leafy vegetables; Listeria; Listeria monocytogenes; Mustard; nonthermal processing; pathogenic microorganisms; Poultry; Vegetables; Washing
• ISSN: 0950-5423; 1365-2621
• DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.13511

Summary Pomegranate pomace extract (PPE) was used as a substitute to chlorinated water for washing of fresh produce. PPE contained punicalagins and ellagic acids, and it had a good inhibitory effect against Listeria monocytogenes based on the results of disc diffusion test and time‐kill assay. Red chard, beet, chicon and red mustard leaves were treated with 7 mg mL−1 PPE as a washing solution to inactivate L. monocytogenes inoculated on fresh produce and compared with 0.05 mg mL−1 NaOCl treatment. After the treatment, L. monocytogenes population on the four leafy vegetables was reduced by 1.96–2.97 log CFU g−1 compared to that on nontreated samples. The reductions in L. monocytogenes after PPE treatment were higher than those observed after NaOCl treatment. Further, the PPE treatment did not affect the surface colour of all fresh produce applied in this study. Thus, PPE can be used as an effective antimicrobial washing agent of fresh produce. Microbial reductions in the levels of L. monocytogenes inoculated on four different vegetables following PPE treatment were significantly greater than that following distilled water wash or sodium hypochlorite treatment.