Abrasive brushing reduces pathogen biofilms at cantaloupe rind surface

Area of Science:

• Food safety
• Microbiology
• Surface decontamination

Background:

• Foodborne pathogens on cantaloupe pose a significant risk.
• Pathogen biofilms are notoriously difficult to remove from produce surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of abrasive brushing in removing Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica biofilms from cantaloupe rind.
• To compare different washing and brushing methods for pathogen removal.

Main Methods:

• Cantaloupe rind pieces were inoculated with L. monocytogenes or S. Typhimurium.
• Rind pieces were incubated for 30 minutes or 24 hours to form planktonic cells or biofilms.
• Treatments included brushing, washing with peroxyacetic acid (PAA), and combinations with diatomaceous earth (DE).
• Bacterial enumeration determined log reductions after treatments.

Main Results:

• Cryo-SEM confirmed biofilm formation after 24 hours of incubation.
• For L. monocytogenes, brushing with DE and PAA achieved a 3.0 log reduction after 24h incubation.
• Brushing with DE and PAA demonstrated the highest efficacy in removing biofilms compared to other methods.

Conclusions:

• Abrasive brushing, particularly with diatomaceous earth and PAA, is effective in removing cantaloupe surface biofilms.
• This method shows potential for enhancing food safety in cantaloupe processing.