Inhibition effect of belzalkonium chloride treatment on growth of common food contaminating fungal species

The improvement of disinfection applications for hard contact surfaces in food processing is critical for the control and prevention of disease-causing and food spoilage microorganisms. The objective in this study was to determine the efficiency of the antifungal agent benzalkonium chloride on growth and/or spore germination of postharvest fruit pathogenic fungi (Aspergillus spp., Penicillum spp., and Alternae alternate) in vitro. The benzalkonium chloride was found to be active against all fungal species but to a different extent. Addition of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid and its sodium salt increased the sensitivity of fungi to benzalkonium chloride. Thus, integrated washing and sanitizing with benzalkonium chloride or homologous surface active compounds combined with ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid and its sodium salt is promising fungicide candidates for reducing fungal contamination of storage.