Use of ultra violet light (UV-C) to reduce possible microbial potential in cold storage rooms loaded with sweet potatoes for exportation [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Irradiation with Ultraviolet-c (IN-C) light (254 nm) was applied on sweet potatoes (cv. Abees) as well as the major recovered organisms that are accounted as contaminants in either the internal atmosphere or on sweet potato tuber roots loaded in cold storage room set at 17°C and 65-70% RH for 3 months. The captured types of microorganisms from either the internal atmosphere of cold storage room or surfaces of sweet potato tuber roots were fungi, yeast and bacteria with the greatest percentage of fungi that recorded 90% and 70%, respectively. The major individuals of recovered fungi were Penicillium spp., Alternaria alternata, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus spp., Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium sp. in descending order of their existence percentages. Upon exposure, the internal atmosphere to UV-C light for one, two and three hours inside cold storage room, a significant reduction of the total number of different types of organisms was obtained with the greatest effect for the three hour - exposure time.

Summary in Arabic.

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