Chlorine dioxide: an evaluation based on a microbial decay approach during mango packing process

Mango is highly consumed worldwide; nonetheless, its consumption has been related to foodborne outbreaks. This study was performed to evaluate bacterial transference during mango postharvest management and the feasibility of adopting chlorine dioxide as first choice disinfectant in mango packinghouse. Chlorine dioxide (3 and 5 ppm) and sodium hypochlorite (100 and 200 ppm) were evaluated at different turbidity and times against Salmonella Choleraesuis and Listeria monocytogenes. Bacterial transference was higher from water to fruit than vice-versa (49.17%). Chlorine dioxide (5 ppm) achieved the highest Salmonella reductions at low turbidity reaching 2.13 Log(10) at 10 min; meanwhile, Listeria was totally reduced in all conditions. Bacterial decay kinetic showed that chlorine dioxide 5 ppm was 34-fold faster than sodium hypochlorite at 200 ppm in reducing 1 Log(10) of Salmonella. Chlorine dioxide reached faster bacterial inactivation decay over sodium hypochlorite; its usage is safe and meets the regulatory standards set for mango processing.

Automated summary

The study found that chlorine dioxide was the most effective disinfectant against Salmonella and Listeria during postharvest management of mango, being 34 times faster in bacterial reduction compared to sodium hypochlorite. Bacterial transfer was higher from water to fruit than vice versa, highlighting the need for improved cleaning and disinfection practices to ensure the safety of mangoes.