Pre- and Post-Harvest Infection of Pasteurized Pickles with Fungi and Their Pectinolytic Potential to Soften the Product

Fungi and their enzymes have long been thought to cause the softening of pasteurized gherkins; however, exact fungal species timing contamination are unknown. Ready-to-sell pickle jars blossoms growing gherkins were inoculated with DNA-sequenced fungi isolated from rotting at various stages production. Fusarium oxysporum, equiseti, Galactomyces geotrichum, Mucor circinelloides, hiemalis, fragilis, Plectosphaerella cucumerina, Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp. indicated a measurable texture reduction after pasteurization 6 months storage room temperature. No changes observed in infected during growth phase. The M. G. geotrichum tolerated acidic-saline (approx. pH 4) environment jar for several days, thus pectinolytic these candidates tested heat resistance. Although measured endo-Polygalacturonase (PG) fragilis had its optimum activity < 4, all inactivated within 3 min 80 °C corresponding heat. Our study shows that conventionally occurring potential induce pickles. Softening by is unlikely due post- or pre-harvest without any other influences.