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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393871
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Mitigate the Food Safety Risks Associated with the Fresh Produce Supply Chain

Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory

Title: Nano-emulsified benzyl isothiocyanate for biocontrol of Escherichia coli O157 on spinach at the pre-harvest level

Author
item Yin, Hsin Bai
item CHEN, CHI-HUNG - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Patel, Jitu
item MAYER, CHRISTINE - Wilson College
item HARRIGER, DANA - Wilson College

Submitted to: Phyllosphere Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Outbreaks linked to the contaminated spinach highlight the need for effective biocontrol to improve produce safety at pre-harvest level. Efficacy of nano-emulsified benzyl isothiocyanate (nano-BIT) as a pre-harvest antimicrobial treatment against Escherichia coli O157 on spinach was investigated. Four spinach cultivars grown in high tunnel were spray-inoculated with E. coli O157:H12 as a non-pathogenic surrogate for E. coli O157:H7 five days prior to harvest. Inoculated spinach was spray-treated with 0.5% pure or nano-BIT (15.7±0.3 nm droplet size). On 0, 3, and 5 days, four samples from each group (20 g/sample; N=144) were analyzed for E. coli O157:H12 populations. The nano-BIT significantly reduced E. coli O157:H12 on leaves of all spinach cultivars. Antimicrobial effect of nano-BIT was superior compared to pure BIT on day 3. The color of nano BIT-treated spinach leaves was comparable to control leaves. Nano-BIT can be potentially used as a pre-harvest treatment against E. coli O157 on spinach.