Sanitizing Method Effects on Depending-Culture Microorganisms in <i>Tuber aestivium</i>

Abstract

Tuber aestivum/uncinatum has been widely used as food, food additives, and traditional medicine. Truffles are extremely perishable with a short postharvest life quality requiring a special handling for marketing in order to delay its deterioration. This study aimed to assess the effects of different sanitizing methods on superficial Tuber aestivium quality ascocarp. The results showed that the best treatment was obtained by immersing the Truffle ascocarps in boiling water for 1 or 2 min where counts of total mesophilic microoraganisms (TMM) were respectively 81 and 7 CFU per g of dry Truffle ascocarps biomass, respectively. However, the highest TMM was obtained after rinsing Truffle ascocarps in 2% NaOH where recovery was 10 8 CFU per g of dry Truffle ascocarps biomass. Treatments applied to disinfect Truffle ascocarps were classified by increasing degree of efficiency as follows to reduce the microbial load expressed in CFU/g: Dipping in boiling water (2 min) 7 ± 3.41; dipping in boiling water (1 min) 81 ± 25.8, rinsing with alcohol 2.10 2 ± 13; rinsing with tap water 6.10 3 ± 36; rinsing with H2O2 6.10 4 ± 2; brushing 2.10 5 ± 28 and rinsing with NaOH 10 8 ± 15.