Culture-independent analysis of the common microbiota of strawberry fruits

The common microbiota of strawberry fruits was characterized by sequencing with a special focus on spoilage organisms. A comprehensive understanding of the microbiota of strawberries might reduce food loss by spoilage and facilitate the manufacture of safe products. Altogether, 19 samples of fresh strawberries from Spain, Germany, and Austria were collected and analyzed by Illumina amplicon sequencing. A shared microbiota of the investigated strawberries is represented by 16 bacterial and 14 fungal genera. Potential spoilage organisms including the genera Bacillus , Cladosporium , and Botrytis (in 95% of samples) were identified as part of this common microbiota of the analyzed strawberries. These spoilage organisms might pose a particular risk to pasteurized strawberry products by their ability to form spores. In this context, Cladosporium herbarum and Botrytis caroliniana could be of particular importance. Human pathogens already known to be associated with foodborne illness caused by strawberries were not identified in the microbiota of investigated strawberries. The present study underlines the importance of understanding the microbiota of strawberry fruits to produce safe and shelf-stable food from raw strawberries. • The common microbiota of strawberries includes 16 bacterial and 14 fungal genera. • The microbiota composition of some samples was dominated by Bacillus species. • Cladosporium herbarum and Botrytis caroliniana were the most abundant spoilers.