Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** organic fresh produce products…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** organic fresh produce products are at the risk of foodborne illnesses due to the lack of practices that can effectively decontaminate incident pathogens, and their shelf life is shortened due to loss of quality and/or fungi spoilage. Current commercial organic-compliant coatings can extend the shelf life but lack preservatives capable of inhibiting foodborne pathogens and fungi. Incorporating organic essential oils (EOS) in coatings may be the solution due to their proven effectiveness against both fungi and foodborne pathogens. The overall research goal of this project is to develop and implement organic compliant coatings with organic EOS to enhance postharvest quality and safety, while the overall extension goal is to train organic producers, packers, and technical service providers with innovative postharvest quality and safety knowledge and disseminate research findings. The research and extension activities will be guided by an advisory board. Two categories of coatings will be studied in objective 1 for commercial organic coatings implementing EOS and novel acidic EO formulations, with an additional goal to make coatings wash removable. Six coating formulations will be studied in objective 2 for reduction of foodborne pathogens on organic blueberries, apricots, peppers, tomatoes, and cantaloupe. Shelf-life and quality, including inhibition of decay, for organic produce coated with EOS will be evaluated in objective 3, while consumer acceptability and economic analysis will be conducted in objective 4. Extension activities in objective 5 will include traditional print publications and in person workshops, as well as virtual webinars, a project website, youtube channel, and x (formerly twitter) account. The project will enhance post-harvest safety, shelf life, and quality that are critical to sustainable production of perishable organic fresh produce.