Safe fruits for a healthy and secure life

The application of multifunctional metabolites produced by microorganisms and natural compounds, both GRAS (generally safe), will ensure that consumers have access safe and high-quality foods.

Context of the story

Following harvest, fruits begin to lose their properties due to mechanical damage, high respiration and transpiration rates, and bacterial and fungal infection. By reducing the microbial load, postharvest treatments preserve the nutritional quality of the fruit. The research team has identified that, in Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile, fruits of commercial interest have high levels of contamination by pathogenic bacteria and fungi, which decreases their quality and means access to international markets is very limited. Sustainable and natural techniques need to be developed to maintain the quality and safety of the fruit in postharvest.

Bio-protectors for postharvest preservation

The Implemented Initiative

The project focuses on developing and validating multifunctional bioprotectors for postharvest fruit preservation. It aims to formulate natural solutions based on microbial metabolites and bioactive compounds with antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity. The initiative seeks to reduce losses due to spoilage, improve food safety, and extend shelf life without affecting sensory quality. It also includes experimental validation, stability assessment, and feasibility analysis for future agro-industrial application.

Safe fruits for our market

The technological solution

The solution consists of natural bioprotectors formulated from metabolites produced by beneficial microorganisms and bioactive compounds of natural origin. These agents exhibit antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity, enabling the control of pathogens responsible for postharvest spoilage.

The treatment is applied through simple and scalable methods such as immersion or spraying, facilitating integration into existing agro-industrial processes. The technology reduces the use of synthetic preservatives, generates no chemical residues, and maintains quality attributes such as color, firmness, and nutritional value. Additionally, it responds to market demand for safer and more sustainable foods.

"Working to ensure the effective elimination or inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms that contamine the aliments"

— UTN Project Leader

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Type of project

Postharvest Management

Results

As a result of the project, multifunctional bioprotectors for postharvest fruit preservation were developed based on microbial metabolites and bioactive compounds with antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity. Experimental trials conducted in Ecuador (UTN), Chile (UT), and Colombia (UdeA) demonstrated a significant reduction in microbial load and infection severity under both room temperature and refrigerated storage conditions.

An extension of shelf life was observed, along with reduced biomass loss and maintenance of commercial attributes such as color, firmness, and soluble solids. No adverse effects were recorded on nutritional parameters such as vitamin C and acidity; in some cases, an increase in antioxidant capacity was observed. These results confirm the scientific and technical viability of the solution and support its scaling and transfer to the regional productive sector.