The efficacy of a new generation disinfectant, octenidine dihydrochloride (OH), as
wash and coating treatments for reducing Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Salmonella spp.
(SAL), and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC) on cantaloupe was investigated. Cantaloupe
rind plugs inoculated separately with the three bacterial species (∼8 log CFU/cm(2))
were washed for 1, 3, 5 min at 25 °C in water, or chlorine (200 ppm), ethanol (1%),
OH (0.01, 0.05, 0.1%) and surviving populations were measured after treatment. Additionally,
inoculated cantaloupe rind plugs were coated with 2% chitosan or chitosan containing
OH (0.01, 0.05, 0.1%) and sampled for surviving pathogens. Subsequently, the antimicrobial
efficacy of OH wash and coating (0.1, 0.2%) on whole cantaloupes was determined. All
OH wash reduced LM, SAL, and EC on cantaloupe rinds by > 5 log CFU/cm(2) by 2 min,
and reduced populations to undetectable levels (below 2 log CFU/cm(2)) by 5 min (P < 0.05).
Similarly, OH coating on cantaloupe rinds reduced the pathogens by 3-5 log /cm(2)
(P < 0.05). Washing and coating whole cantaloupes with OH reduced the three pathogens
by at least 5 log and 2 log CFU/cm(2), respectively (P < 0.05). Results suggest that
OH could be used as antimicrobial wash and coating to reduce LM, SAL, and EC on cantaloupes.