Kirsty Bayliss

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, more than 800 million people still suffer from hunger, yet one third of food produced (equivalent to $ 1 trillion USD in value) is either lost or wasted globally each year. Postharvest losses are considered a major component of food loss and waste in the food supply chain, from raw production (total harvest) to food consumed. Losses occur due to improper handling, storage, transport, preservation techniques and infection by microorganisms, and can reach up to 45% in fresh fruits and vegetables. Postharvest diseases, particularly of perishable food crops, are predominately caused by fungal pathogens. Management practices for controlling such pathogens include physical, chemical and biological methods in addition to newer technologies such as UV radiation, nano-technology and plasma treatments. Fungicides are the most common management option due to the consistency of results, however, there is increasing demand by consumers for less chemical use, and chemical-free produce can attract premium prices for growers. New technologies are required to reduce postharvest disease losses, without exposing consumers to hazardous chemical residues. This paper reports a novel, non-chemical method for treating postharvest diseases that shows much promise – cold plasma. Our experiments indicate that this method does not have any phytotoxic effects on avocado fruit, but can inhibit pathogens in vitro following an exposure time of 3 min.