Bioconservación frente a patógenos de transmisión alimentaria en frutas y hortalizas mínimamente procesadas

Abstract

The production and consumption of minimally pro­cessed fruits and vegetables have increased in recent years, which has contributed to increasing the foodborne illnesses associated with the consumption of fresh produce. This is because current disinfection methods used in the fresh-cut industry are not enough to guarantee the microbial safety of the final products, and minimally processed produce does not receive any other treatment capable of eliminating all patho­gens before consumption. Therefore, alternative strategies to reduce pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms are needed. Biopreservation, using microorganisms or their metabolites, is an alternative that, in combination with current practices, could reduce or prevent pathogenic growth in minimally processed produce, improving their microbiological quality. This paper re­views the most relevant results on biopreservation of minimally processed fruits and vegetables.