EFFoST2024-Abstract-14May24

Aim: Fungal spoilage in strawberries poses economic risks to growers and distributors, along with the potential for mycotoxin contamination, threatening food safety. In this research, we seek to develop processed soft fruits with improved quality, nutrition, and shelf-life, while also addressing fungal contamination and mycotoxin production risks. Thus, we aimed to identify the most mycotoxin contaminants in strawberries and to construct a comparative risk assessment system for evaluating and ranking fungal and mycotoxin hazards. Method: Published datasets and peer-reviewed studies were used as representative references (n=71). Fungal contaminants in strawberries were clustered by species, and mycotoxin concentrations were standardized (µg.kg-1) and ranked for comparison. Primary models were used to estimate the growth rates (µ) and lag phases (λ) for Alternaria, Penicillium and Aspergillus, with adjustment coefficients (k) for field conditions. A prediction model for post-harvest infection elapsed 7 days (5 storage, 2 retail), considering storage and retail temperatures. Visible spoilage was defined by a 2 mm colony size threshold, with associated risk levels (high, moderate, low) based on species-specific probabilities of spoilage. Results: The study has shown a high prevalence of Alternaria spp. and its relative mycotoxins (alternariol monomethyl ether and alternariol), followed by Aspergillus, Penicillium spp. Mycotoxins with regulatory limits (i.e., fumonisin, aflatoxins, ochratoxin and patulin) were largely reported in strawberries. Risk assessment models predicted a low risk of spoilage when strawberries were stored and retailed at 4°C. However, increasing the retail storage temperature to 15°C resulted in an increased risk of spoilage by Alternaria spp. Additionally, a scenario with storage at 4°C and retailing at 25°C predicted a high risk of spoilage by Alternaria spp. and moderate spoilage risk by Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. Conclusion: Alternaria, Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. were the most common spoilers in strawberries, with associated mycotoxins posing risks. Temperature control is crucial to mitigate spoilage, but species-specific growth factors must be integrated into risk assessments. Future research will assess mycotoxin risk to build model-based process optimization for the production of safe and stable products. Acknowledgements: FRIETS Project funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework, Grant Agreement No.101007783.