LAUSR

Abstract The effect of a microbial decontamination system that integrates antimicrobial washing and in-package atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (ADCP) treatment on mandarin preservation was studied. A 0.2 % highly activated calcium oxide (CaO) aqueous solution and slightly acidic electrolyzed water containing 0.5 % fumaric acid (FS solution) were tested as antimicrobial washing solutions. ADCP treatment was applied to mandarins packaged in commercial polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers at 26 or 27 kV for 1, 2, 3, or 4 min. Penicillium digitatum disease incidence on mandarins was lowest (77.1 %) after ADCP treatment at 27 kV for 2 min. P. digitatum disease incidence on untreated mandarins or those treated with ADCP after washing with CaO solution, FS solution, or CaO solution and FS solution consecutively was 97.3 %, 64.3 %, 87.1 %, or 80.0 %, respectively. ADCP treatment after washing with CaO solution (CaO-ADCP treatment) did not affect the appearance of mandarins, but altered the glossiness of the sensory attributes of mandarins (p