LAUSR

Abstract Ethyl formate (EF) is a food-flavoring agent with a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status. It is a naturally-occurring insecticidal volatile compound promising as an alternative to synthetic insect pest fumigants that are toxic and/or undesirable to the environment. In this study, an EF precursor (EFP) was investigated as an activated EF release system for in-package fumigation of spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) in blueberries. EF concentration, exposure time, and fruit loading factor had significant (p 0.05) differences observed in blueberries quality parameters after the EF fumigation treatments. Results from this study suggested that in-package EF fumigation via the EFP system has a potential as a postharvest treatment for SWD control in blueberries. This active packaging approach can be beneficial for streamlining the existing fumigation approach, thereby increasing the available shelf-life of fresh produce.