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Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain
Dissertation (MSc(Agric) : Plant Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2006.
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| Format: | Thesis |
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613703203979264 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Korsten, Lise |
| author_browse | Korsten, Lise |
| author_facet | Korsten, Lise |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2006 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc(Agric) : Plant Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26307 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:21.476Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26307 Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain Korsten, Lise keesenberg@lantic.net Keesenberg, Willeke Fruit quality Microbial flora Pathogenic micro-organisms UCTD Dissertation (MSc(Agric) : Plant Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. One of the factors that maintains fruit quality is its microbial flora. Fruit holds a natural non-pathogenic epiphytic microflora but can become contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms during export, causing either postharvest decay or possibly resulting in a food safety risk. In order to study microbial dynamics on fruit surfaces and the environment fruit moves through in the export chain, fruit washings were made, surfaces were sampled and total populations and diversities determined per cm2. Hygiene and safety levels for fruit export environments were hereby determined by sampling various points along the apple export chain, which included two farms and a harbour in South Africa and two harbours, two repacking facilities and two retail centres in Europe. In this first study of its kind, all the surfaces that were sampled exceeded the international standard for cleaning efficacy of food-processing equipment that is <5 cfu/cm2, while several areas exceeded the maximum acceptable index level of microbial air contamination of 22 cfu/h in food industries. Washing of containers on a harbour in South Africa did not have a significant impact on microbial populations. Regarding fruit quality, it was determined that apple microflora fluctuate throughout the export process and that postharvest pathogens that are known to cause great economic losses in the apple industry, proved to be of little significance in this investigation. The presence of six foodborne pathogens i.e. Shigella sonnei, Salmonella muenchen, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidi/s was monitored throughout the chain. Of these, only S. aureus and E. coli were recorded, although pathogenicity was not confirmed for the latter. Staphylococcus aureus was found in containers and at a retail centre in Europe, and S. aureus and S. epidermidis were recorded on apple surfaces for the first time. Escherichia coli was present in great numbers in fruit washing water on a farm in South Africa. Since the standard for food premises is very stringent and perhaps inapplicable for fresh fruit handling and holding facilities, future research should include development of a more realistic hygiene standard for fresh fruit environments. Microbiology and Plant Pathology unrestricted 2013-09-07T04:31:18Z 2008-08-12 2013-09-07T04:31:18Z 2006-09-07 2006 2008-07-15 Dissertation Keesenberg, W 2006, Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain, MSc(Agric) dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26307 > E401/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26307 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07152008-145341/ © 2006 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Fruit quality Microbial flora Pathogenic micro-organisms UCTD Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| title | Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| title_full | Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| title_fullStr | Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| title_short | Food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| title_sort | food safety and quality throughout the apple export chain |
| topic | Fruit quality Microbial flora Pathogenic micro-organisms UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26307 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07152008-145341/ |