Post-Retail Application of Chitosan Coating and UV-C Irradiation: Effects on Strawberry Decay, Fungal Spoilage, and Consumer Acceptance

Food waste is a global issue with significant environmental, economic, and human health impacts. The largest share of household and retail food waste comes from fresh produce, much of which is still edible at the time of disposal. While previous work has investigated shelf-life extension technologies applied to freshly harvested produce, almost no studies have investigated the efficacy of these treatments when applied to post-retail produce. This study investigated the effect of low-dose UV-C exposure and chitosan coating on the quality, microbial load, and visual acceptance of post-retail strawberries. Strawberries were assigned to low-dose UV-C, chitosan dip, or one of three control conditions (no treatment, water dip, or vinegar dip). Strawberries were analyzed for texture, color, weight, decay percent, yeast and mold counts, and fungal presence via qPCR. Consumer acceptance was determined using an online survey with photographs. Chitosan, but not UV-C, delayed decay by approximately 1 day and lowered yeast and mold counts below limits of detection while having minimal impact on texture and color. Chitosan-treated strawberries were more visually accepted by consumers by Day 1 and Day 2, indicated by higher liking scores and greater association with safety and willingness to eat. UV-C exposure at the low fluence applied did not reduce decay or microbial load during storage. Prolonging the acceptability of post-retail produce provides a meaningful target for reducing household and retail food waste.