PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF A STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA X ANANASSA) PACKAGING INDUSTRY UTILIZING ULTRASONIC SANITATION SYSTEM (CASE STUDY: KONTAK TANI NELAYAN ANDALAN (KTNA), RANCABALI DISTRICT, BANDUNG REGENCY): THE EFFECT OF CLOVE OIL SOLUTION (SYZYGIUM AROMATICUM) IN SANITATION PROCESS AND ITS IMPACT ON STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA X ANANASSA) QUALITY AND SHELF LIFE.

• Main Author: Thoriq Asysyamil, Hafizh
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/84348
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Strawberries are one of the fruits frequently consumed among the Indonesian people due to their unique taste and attractive color. Notably, their high water content renders them perishable and thus vulnerable to damage, particularly from microbial infection. A viable approach to mitigate the microbial load on the surface of the strawberries is by washing them with clove oil. The active ingredient Eugenol in clove oil is a phenolic compound with antimicrobial properties. This study aims to investigate the effect of using clove oil solution at various concentrations (0.1%; 0.2%; 0.4%; 0.6% v/v) and control treatments (washed with water without clove oil and washed with distilled water) on the quality and shelf life of strawberries. The study include preliminary test phase to determine the optimal concentration of the clove oil solution, followed by a second tests phase to assess the effect of the optimal treatment on physicochemical, organoleptic, and microbiological qualities of strawberries during storage at 5±2°C for 12 days. The preliminary test results indicated that a 6% v/v concentration of clove oil was the most effective. At this concentration, clove oil reduced the total bacterial count by 1.8 log CFU/gram; the total fungal count by 1.3 log CFU/gram; and coliform contamination by 1.6 log CFU/gram. In the core test results, it was found that the sanitation treatment using clove oil solution on strawberries maintained the physicochemical quality of the fruit, with a higher microbial reduction compared to other treatments. However, this treatment decreased the hedonic value during the initial storage period (days 0 to 3) due to the clove flavor and aroma present in the fruit. Overall, the sanitation treatment with clove oil solution was able to extend the shelf life of strawberries up to 9 days at 5±2°C.