SURFACE DISINFECTION OF TOMATOES USING THE NATURAL PLANT-COMPOUND TRANS-CINNAMALDEHYDE

Tomatoes are particularly vulnerable to microbial spoilage at calyces and wound sites on the fruit surface. Compared to the fruit surface, t he calyx carries the major part of the microbial load, consisting of e piphytic bacteria and moulds. Disinfection of tomato fruits, as a mean s of extending quality shelf life, was studied using trans-cinnamaldeh yde, a compound occurring naturally in plants. Treatment of tomatoes w ith an aqueous solution of 13 mM cinnamaldehyde reduced the number of bacteria and fungi by one order of magnitude within 10 and 30 min, res pectively. With tomatoes that had been treated for 30 min with cinnama ldehyde, visible mould growth was delayed by seven days during storage under modified atmosphere conditions at 18 degrees C.