Fresh‐cut fruits are susceptible to the proliferation of emerging pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes , causing public health concerns. However, the demand for these products has been intensifying in recent years; for this reason, there is greater interest in developing methods that guarantee their microbiological safety and maintain their freshness simultaneously. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of malic acid (MA) (2.5%, w / v ) combined with calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) (3%, w / v ) to inhibit the propagation of L. monocytogenes , reduce the natural microbial load of the fruit, and evaluate physicochemical and nutritional parameters of fresh‐cut mango treated with individual treatments and the combination (MA‐CaCl 2 ). Color, firmness, total soluble solids, pH, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, and β ‐carotene were evaluated every 3 days for 15 days, while growth of L. monocytogenes , mesophiles, psychrophiles, molds, and yeast was evaluated at 0, 6, and 12 days of storage at 5°C. Mango slices treated with CaCl 2 and the combined treatment MA‐CaCl 2 presented better retention of firmness compared with those untreated and treated with MA, while the rest of the physicochemical parameters and β ‐carotene were not affected by the treatment application. Also, MA‐CaCl 2 treatment was effective in maintaining the content of ascorbic acid and phenolics as well as in reducing the growth of L. monocytogenes , mesophiles, psychrophiles, molds, and yeast. MA‐CaCl 2 treatment could be used as an effective and natural treatment to ensure the microbiological safety of fresh‐cut mango while maintaining its physicochemical and nutritional quality.
Vega-García et al. (2026) studied this question.