Effects of washing additives on the incidence of rots and an enumeration of surface microbes in stored squash

Abstract

Postharvest losses through rot in squash fruit exported to Japan result in poor quality or rejected fruit Mechanical washing aids in the removal of soil microorganisms and other debris from fruit surfaces Washing agents could enhance this removal but their effect on the incidence of rots and on the total number of surface microorganisms in squash is unknown This study evaluated the effect of two commercial washing agents on the incidence of rots and used platedilution to enumerate microbes on the surfaces of squash fruit in storage The commercial washing agents VeggiWash and the experimental formulation Y14258 reduced the incidence of rots by about 42 and 18 respectively compared to unwashed squash The estimated populations of microorganisms on squash fruit without lesions after 7 weeks in storage ranged between 1x10³ 1x10⁵ colony forming units/cm²