Investigation of potential reasons for bacterial survival on ‘ready-to-eat’ leafy produce during exposure to gaseous ozone

摘要: Fresh leafy produce, such as lettuce and coriander, are subject to post-harvest microbial contamination decay. Because of increasing pesticide resistance consumer pressures, alternative residue-free treatments, ozone, being actively explored encouraged reduce loads curb spoilage crops in storage/transit. However, several researchers have reported that a component the bacterial population on leaf surfaces is resistant ozone treatment. To investigate potential reasons for this survival, confocal microscopy was used visualise microbes before after Direct observation (live/dead cell staining) cells exposure showed some were still alive; included small colonies well individual cells. We hypothesised (colony) age prior stress (cold) contributes to, or responsible for, observed. Interestingly, derived from older agar-grown (7–12-day-old) cold stressed Pseudomonas sp. (isolated coriander) higher than control (4-day-old colonies). These findings suggest range factors further work improve our understanding mechanisms may lead improved methods fresh produce.