Inactivation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and quality maintenance of cherry tomatoes with in-package aerosolization of essential oil

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of in-package aerosolized essential oil ( Mustard, Cinnamon, Oregano and Thyme oil) in reducing population of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium inoculated on tomato fruit and in maintaining fruit quality.Cherry tomatoes were inoculated with a cocktail of attenuated S.Typhimurium ATCC 53467 and 53468 strains on the smooth skin surface and stem scar area. Then essential oil were aerosolized into a clamshell package containing either the inoculated cherry tomatoes for the antimicrobial study or non-inoculated fruit for quality analysis. The treated fruits were stored at 10 ℃ for 3 weeks.Results showed that the reductions of S.Typhimurium population on both smooth surface and stem scar area were significantly. S. Typhimurium population on the smooth surface were reduced by more than2.00 log CFU/fruit by essential oil. On the stem scar area, essential oil were also effective in reducing S. Typhimurium population, achieving more than 1.00 log CFU/fruit reduction. With the storage period extending, the total number of colonies were also decreased, but the total number of colonies of treated fruit was also reduced, which proved its inhibitory effect was still valid. None of the treatments significantly ( p > 0.05) affected color, firmness, vitamin of tomatoes during 3 weeks of storage.Therefore, the results suggest that the in-package aerosolized sanitizers can be used as a novel method for the inactivation of Salmonella on vegetable and fruit.