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Published on: January 13, 2017
Listeria survival dynamics on pears under real-world storage: effects of variety, production practice, storage, and
Edmund Larbi Afari1, Mengqian Hang1, Yuan Su1
1School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.
Abstract:
This study provides the first systematic, commercial-scale evaluation of Listeria innocua survival on multiple pear cultivars under long-term storage. We investigated its fate on three pear varieties (d'Anjou, Bartlett, and Bosc) across different production practices (conventional vs organic) and storage conditions [refrigerated air (RA) and controlled atmosphere (CA)], thereby capturing the influence of real-world storage practices and fruit decay on pathogen survival. L. innocua survival differed among cultivars. Bosc pears exhibited a larger initial reduction after the 24 h attachment period yet maintained higher L. innocua levels than d'Anjou and Bartlett during subsequent storage. Organic d'Anjou pears exhibited significantly lower (P < 0.05) L. innocua levels than conventional pears. Fruit decay further reduced L. innocua levels, with counts 0.45-1.13 log CFU/pear lower on decayed Bartlett and d'Anjou pears compared to intact fruits. Storage atmosphere (RA vs. CA) had no significant effect on survival. Over 12-36 weeks, yeast and mold increased by 0.69-1.58 log CFU/pear, whereas resident bacteria decreased by 0.85-1.45 log CFU/pear across all pear varieties. Physicochemical analysis revealed a reduction in firmness, titratable acidity, and soluble solids content across varieties after nine months of storage. Collectively, these findings indicate that L. innocua consistently declined on all test pear varieties over time under all tested commercial storage conditions and production practices, providing pear-specific insights into Listeria behavior, and informing risk management in the pear industry.
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