Air-assisted electrostatic sprays for postharvest control of fruit and vegetable spoilage microorganisms

Losses of foodstuffs following harvest can often exceed 10%-30%, much due t o various fungal and other microorganisms which degrade the food in shipmen t and storage. In addition to these direct losses due to spoilage, certain microorganisms render foods unsafe for human consumption by natural toxins which they produce. To maintain quality and desired sensory attributes betw een farm and market, other fruits and vegetables require surface applicatio ns of waxes and water-loss barriers. This paper reports the research and de velopment of an efficient electrostatic spray application method and proces sing-line prototype created specifically for postharvest protection of food stuffs. In addition to relevant aspects of theoretical and technical design , the paper includes experimental results of extensive evaluations of elect rostatically applied protective sprays onto bananas for international shipm ent-where both microbiological and mass-transfer data document typically 2. 1-3.4-fold deposition improvements for food protection.