Impacts of atmospheric jet plasma and sodium alginate coating on the storage stability of ‘Forelle’ pear fruit

To suppress microbiological load and extend the shelf life of fresh produce, traditional chemical treatments, along with petroleum-based packaging, are widely used.
While effective in reducing microbial contamination, these approaches often compromise product quality and raise environmental concerns.
Consequently, there is growing interest in alternative preservation strategies that maintain safety and quality without adverse environmental impact.
This study evaluated the effects of sodium alginate (SA) coatings and plasma-activated sodium alginate (CPSA) edible coatings on the postharvest quality and microbial load of ‘Forelle’ pears stored at 20°C for 12 days.
Untreated samples were used as control.
Assessed quality parameters included weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids to titratable acidity ratio (TSS/TA), pH, decay incidence and microbial load.
Although all samples showed gradual quality degradation over time, the CPSA treatment significantly (p<0.05) delayed senescence and preserved key quality attributes compared to SA treatments alone.
CPSA-coated pears exhibited reduced weight loss, firmness retention, and maintained the TSS/TA ratios.
Moreover, CPSA application significantly suppressed decay and microbial proliferation, resulting in the lowest microbial counts throughout storage.
These findings demonstrated the potential of CPSA edible coatings as a sustainable postharvest packaging alternative.

IV International Symposium on Beverage Crops

N.F. Monyela, Z.A. Belay, G.O. Sigge, O.J. Caleb

cold plasma modification, sodium alginate, microbial load, quality preservation, edible coating

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1466.5