Ultrasound decontamination of pesticides and microorganisms in fruits and vegetables: a review

Improper agricultural practices; poor hygiene at all stages of the food chain; lack of preventive controls in food production, processing and preparation; misuse of agricultural chemicals; contaminated raw materials, soil and water are just a few of the factors contributing to potential hazards in foods. In this review, topical advances and trends in ultrasonic decontamination of pesticides and microorganisms associated with fruits and vegetable are presented. Contaminated fruits and vegetables have continually become'vehicles of foodborne illnesses. These xenobiotics present in fresh produce cause rot, deleterious contamination and subsequently impacting negatively on people's health. Ultrasonic irradiation as a possible advanced oxidation process has received growing considerations for the degradation of assorted organic pollutants and inactivation of microbes that commonly contaminate pre and post-harvest food produce. Sonolytic effects of ultrasound occur as a consequence of cavitation, which is incessant creation and collapse of bubbles on a split second basis alongside the formation of free radicals and hot spots, characterized by extremely high temperatures and pressure. A variety of studies consistently portrayed ultrasound as an effective tool capable of inhibiting the incidence of deterioration and preserving the quality of post-harvest fruits and vegetables. Combining ultrasound and other decontamination treatments has also produced synergistic benefits of effectively removing residual pesticides and reducing microbial loads in fruits and vegetables.