Citrocide® Fresh-Fruit System: Safe, Sustainable, and Effective Disinfection for Postharvest Water

Over a year ago, Citrosol along with its Portuguese distributor and partner Nutea, implemented the Citrocide® Fresh-Fruit System at the Portuguese company Primofruta Sociedad Hortofrutícola. The system was introduced to disinfect and treat the dump and processing waters used for pears and apples. It has already achieved excellent results, maintaining postharvest processing water for these fruits in optimal hygienic conditions. Additionally, it has significantly improved results in decay control.

Primofruta has stated that Citrosol’s system has enabled them to greatly enhance the disinfection of their dump tank water. Moreover, it offers greater assurance of food safety and a reduction in decay-related incidents.

Water Disinfection

Water used in postharvest processes has been identified as one of the main risk factors for microbiological contamination in fresh fruits and vegetables. Using the same water to wash large volumes of produce during a single operational cycle increases this risk even further.

In recent recommendations published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regarding microbiological risks associated with water use in postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables, the Panel on Biological Hazards concluded that the correct application of a disinfectant to postharvest processing water is one of the key tools for maintaining the microbiological quality of that water.

The buildup of inoculum in postharvest water not only poses a food safety risk but can also impact product quality, as it is well established that poor water hygiene increases postharvest decay, mainly caused by phytopathogenic fungi. This issue is even more critical in a context where the trend is to eliminate or restrict the use of postharvest fungicides.

Therefore, maintaining hygienic water quality in postharvest processes has become a fundamental requirement for the fruit and vegetable industry.

Citrocide® Fresh-Fruit

Citrosol has developed several systems for the systematic operational monitoring of water disinfection processes used in postharvest handling. Among them, the Citrocide® Fresh-Fruit System stands out, such as the one installed in Primofruta’s dump tanks.

This system enables continuous and real-time monitoring of the disinfection process of water used in the postharvest treatment of fruits and vegetables, ensuring at all times the optimal concentration of the Citrocide® coadjuvant. This comprehensive solution keeps process water in hygienic conditions (Figure 1) without generating disinfection by-products that could be harmful to humans or the environment. Citrocide® is certified as an input for organic farming under both European and U.S. regulations.

In the upcoming season, Citrosol and Nutea will continue working to bring this solution to more fruit and vegetable packing facilities throughout Portugal.

Figura 1. Evolution of Contamination in Two Apple Dump Tanks: One WITHOUT Disinfection and One WITH the Citrocide® Fresh-Fruit System (cfu/ml = colony-forming units of fungi and yeasts per ml of water)