Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage
Apple pomace, a by-product from the production of concentrated juice, is a major contributor to global food waste. Despite its beneficial nutritional profile, apple pomace is predominantly disposed of in landfills. Rapid fermentation and spoilage caused by microorganisms are compounding factors in t...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2438 |
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| author | Ashley Harratt Wenyuan Wu Peyton Strube Joseph Ceravolo David Beattie Tara Pukala Marta Krasowska Anton Blencowe |
| author_facet | Ashley Harratt Wenyuan Wu Peyton Strube Joseph Ceravolo David Beattie Tara Pukala Marta Krasowska Anton Blencowe |
| author_sort | Ashley Harratt |
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| description | Apple pomace, a by-product from the production of concentrated juice, is a major contributor to global food waste. Despite its beneficial nutritional profile, apple pomace is predominantly disposed of in landfills. Rapid fermentation and spoilage caused by microorganisms are compounding factors in this demise, despite significant research into upcycling strategies. Thus, there is an unmet need for economical approaches that allow for the preservation of pomace during storage and transportation to centralized processing facilities from regional hubs. To address this challenge, we investigated the potential of different preservatives for preventing microbial growth and the spoilage of apple pomace, including antimicrobials (natamycin and iodine), polysaccharides (chitosan and fucoidan), and acetic acid. Spread plates for total microbial and fungal counts were employed to assess the effectiveness of the treatments. High concentrations (10,000 ppm) of chitosan were effective at reducing the microbial load and inhibiting growth, and in combination with antimicrobials, eliminated all microbes below detectable levels. Nevertheless, acetic acid at an equivalent concentration to commercial vinegar displayed the highest economic potential. Apple pomace submerged in 0.8 M acetic acid (3 kg pomace per liter) resulted in a five-log reduction in the microbial colony-forming units (CFUs) out to 14 days and prevented fermentation and ethanol production. These results provide a foundation for the short-term storage and preservation of apple pomace that could contribute to its upcycling. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-bfa43be63d994a19b42f886166f3ba332025-08-20T03:58:31ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-07-011414243810.3390/foods14142438Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During StorageAshley Harratt0Wenyuan Wu1Peyton Strube2Joseph Ceravolo3David Beattie4Tara Pukala5Marta Krasowska6Anton Blencowe7Applied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaAshton Valley Fresh, Lobethal Rd, Ashton, SA 5137, AustraliaFuture Industries Institute (FII), UniSA Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5098, AustraliaSchool of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, AustraliaFuture Industries Institute (FII), UniSA Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5098, AustraliaApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaApple pomace, a by-product from the production of concentrated juice, is a major contributor to global food waste. Despite its beneficial nutritional profile, apple pomace is predominantly disposed of in landfills. Rapid fermentation and spoilage caused by microorganisms are compounding factors in this demise, despite significant research into upcycling strategies. Thus, there is an unmet need for economical approaches that allow for the preservation of pomace during storage and transportation to centralized processing facilities from regional hubs. To address this challenge, we investigated the potential of different preservatives for preventing microbial growth and the spoilage of apple pomace, including antimicrobials (natamycin and iodine), polysaccharides (chitosan and fucoidan), and acetic acid. Spread plates for total microbial and fungal counts were employed to assess the effectiveness of the treatments. High concentrations (10,000 ppm) of chitosan were effective at reducing the microbial load and inhibiting growth, and in combination with antimicrobials, eliminated all microbes below detectable levels. Nevertheless, acetic acid at an equivalent concentration to commercial vinegar displayed the highest economic potential. Apple pomace submerged in 0.8 M acetic acid (3 kg pomace per liter) resulted in a five-log reduction in the microbial colony-forming units (CFUs) out to 14 days and prevented fermentation and ethanol production. These results provide a foundation for the short-term storage and preservation of apple pomace that could contribute to its upcycling.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2438apple pomacepreservativespoilagefermentationmicrobiology |
| spellingShingle | Ashley Harratt Wenyuan Wu Peyton Strube Joseph Ceravolo David Beattie Tara Pukala Marta Krasowska Anton Blencowe Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage Foods apple pomace preservative spoilage fermentation microbiology |
| title | Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage |
| title_full | Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage |
| title_short | Comparison of Preservatives for the Prevention of Microbial Spoilage of Apple Pomace During Storage |
| title_sort | comparison of preservatives for the prevention of microbial spoilage of apple pomace during storage |
| topic | apple pomace preservative spoilage fermentation microbiology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2438 |
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