Effects of aqueous chlorine dioxide treatment and cold storage on microbial growth and quality of blueberries

The effects of postharvest washing treatment and cold storage on the quality of blueberries were examined. The blueberries were treated with water or 100 ppm aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and stored at 4 or 20°C for 12 days. The aqueous ClO2 treatment reduced the initial populations of total aerobic bacteria and yeast and mold in the blueberries by 1.4–1.5 and 0.8–0.9 log CFU/g, respectively, compared with the control. Total anthocyanin content indicated that the blueberries stored at 4°C maintained their total anthocyanin content better than those stored at 20°C. Regardless of washing treatment, the blueberries stored at 4°C exhibited lower decay and weight loss than those stored at 20°C. These results suggest that a postharvest treatment of aqueous ClO2 and cold storage can be useful for maintaining the quality of blueberries during storage.