Postharvest Science/Technology
We work in control rooms and/or packing house applications in vegetables and fruits examining the exploitation of several sanitizers with antimicrobial and antioxidative properties such as
- gaseous ozone
- essential oil
- plant extracts
- natural products
for the fruit storability employing MA and CA under pathogenic, physiological and biochemical/molecular approaches. Several studies taking place for tomato, strawberry, grapes, pepper, eggplant and cucumber fruit.
Ongoing research projects
- ‘Essential oil against food borne pathogen on leafy vegetables’. (Collaborators: Dr George Botsaris-CUT)
- Postharvest performance of Medicinal and Aromatic plants in Cyprus
- Quality and storability of processed/dried aromatic plants
- Strawberries storage and innovative preservation means
Completed research projects
- ‘Exploitation of Aloe vera with essential oil for tomato preservation’. CUT project.
- Essential oils for the preservation of shreeded carrot-CUT project
- ‘Use of sage and dictamnus essential oils for the preservation of cucumber fruits’ ESSOFRESH project. (Collaborators: Prof. Costas Loulakakis-TEI of Crete; Prof. Magan Naresh- Cranfield University).
- ‘Deployment of essential oils from aromatic plants of Crete for the preservation of fresh produce’ ESSOFRESH project. (Collaborators: Prof. Costas Loulakakis-TEI of Crete; Prof. Magan Naresh- Cranfield University).
- ‘Impacts of heat stress and calcium dipping in loquat storage under controlled and modified atmosphere’- Institute of Olive Tree and Subtropical Plants of Chania, NAGREF. (Collaborators: Prof. Giannis Metzidakis-ISPOT-NAGREF).