The effect of the association of sanitizers and surfactant in the microbiota of the Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) melon surface Maria do Socorro Rocha Bastos a,b, * , Nilda de F atima Ferreira Soares a , N elio Jos  e de Andrade a , Aline Cristina Arruda a , Ricardo Elesb~ ao Alves b a Universidade Federal de Vic ßosa, Departamento de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Av. P. H. Rolfs, s/n, Vic ßosa-MG CEP 36570-000, Brazil b Embrapa Agroind ustria Tropical, Rua Dra. Sara Mesquita, 2270, Bairro Planalto Pici, C.P. 3761, Fortaleza-CE CEP 60511-110, Brazil Received 30 November 2003; received in revised form 29 March 2004; accepted 1 April 2004 Abstract This work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of 200, 500 and 1000 mg l 1 of free available chlorine (FAC) and 60 mg l 1 of peracetic acid (APA) associated or not with Tween 80 in reducing the mesophilic aerobes, coliforms group and fecal coliforms on cantaloupe melon surface. Also, the action of the organic chloramine in removing the Salmonella enteritidis when attached on the melon surface. All treatments reduced significantly (p < 0:05) the microbiota analyzed when compared with a water washing, used as control. The treatment with 1000 mg l 1 of organic chloramine with surfactant reduced the mesophilic aerobes (p < 0:05) by 4-log cycles, more than the control. Also this chlorine solution was the most efficient in removing S. enteritidis after attachment of the microorganisms to the fruit surface, between 1 and 24 h. Ó 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Cucumis melon cantaloupensis; Food safety; Sanitation 1. Introduction The melon cantaloupe is a tropical fruit, native to Asia and mainly cropped in the Brazilian northeast. This country occupies the sixth position among the exporting countries in the world. Nowadays, the exter- nal market for Brazilian melon is concentrated in the following countries: Holland, United Kingdom and Finland, which together are responsible for 66.7% of the national exports (Vieira, 2003). The main consumer of tropical products is the European Union that has been requiring products with higher quality and safety in order to reach the market. This fruit has been accused to be a vehicle of several food poisoning outbreaks spe- cially in the United States of America, which shows high consumption of the cantaloupe and honey dew cultivars (Ukuku & Sapers, 2001). The type and number of the microorganism popu- lation carried by fruits is variable, since both depend on the source where the population came from. Thus, those fruits previously considered as healthy from the public health viewpoint are potential sources of microbiological contaminants (Lamikanra, 2002). Many of these microorganisms carried from the field have the potential to attach and form biofilms on sur- faces of fruits and vegetables, reducing their removal through common procedures of hygiene and sanitation. This attachment has been a problem in food safety, becoming a challenge to the processing industries. Some fruits show characteristics on their surfaces that rather provide stronger attachment and colonization by bac- teria, moulds and yeasts (Ukuku & Fett, 2002). Nev- ertheless, attention has been paid to the lacy surface of the cantaloupe melon, that consists of a mesh so-called as ‘‘net’’. This characteristic provides an inherent rug- osity that favors microbial attachment and reduces its removal. Besides the lacy characteristic, the cantaloupe melon surface is highly hydrophobic due to the presence of waxes, that makes the cleaning and sanitizing process more difficult. * Corresponding author. Address: Universidade Federal de Vic ßosa, Departamento de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Av. P. H. Rolfs, s/n, Vic ßosa-MG CEP 36570-000, Brazil. Tel.: +55-31-3891-6526; fax: +55- 31-3899-2208. E-mail address: sbastos@tdnet.com.br (M.d.S.R. Bastos). 0956-7135/$ - see front matter Ó 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2004.04.002 Food Control 16 (2005) 369–373 www.elsevier.com/locate/foodcont