Antiviral activity of alginate-oleic acid based coatings incorporating green tea extract on strawberries and raspberries

Foodborne illnesses caused by the consumption of berries contaminated with human enteric viruses, namely human noroviruses (NoVs) and the hepatitis A virus (HAV), remain a significant food safety concern. The objective of this research was to investigate a food-grade edible coating composed of alginate/oleic and containing green tea extract (GTE) as an antiviral agent for the preservation of fresh strawberries and raspberries. Berries were stored at ambient (25 °C) temperature and refrigerated (10 °C) conditions. Initially, the effect of the pH of the film-forming dispersions (FFD) on their antioxidant and antiviral activity was analysed. Then, the physicochemical properties of edible algin…