Development and implementation of a globally innovative method of improving the microbiological status of large-fruited cranberry fruit and, consequently, its storage stability, by using an ozonation process combined with UV irradiation. The need for the project is indicated by the multifaceted benefits of the final results of the operation. Large-fruited cranberries can be produced using two technologies. One, called 'wet', involves harvesting the fruit by flooding the plots with water, followed by a process of mechanical shaking of the fruit. The fruit, thanks to its natural buoyancy, floats to the surface of the water table, from which it is pulled down to the banks by means of suitable conveyors. Water is a medium that favours the transmission of all kinds of storage pathogens. The methods used during harvesting make it possible to remove the excess water, but drying the fruit causes the pathogenic microorganisms to move into a spore-like state, making their removal much more difficult. Fruit deposited in storage when the temperature is lowered tend to increase their water activity, which promotes their reactivation, thus generating storage problems. The analysis of the result of storing fruit harvested in this way, indicates a vital need to increase the shelf life of cranberry fruit, which undergoes processes of decomposition and rotting under the influence of infections with fungal and bacterial pathogens that originated at the harvesting stage. Large-fruited cranberry fruit subjected to the developed innovative method of improving microbiological status and storage durability will show increased commercial value compared to fruit traditionally harvested wet. It should be noted that the application of the proposed method for improving the shelf life of large-fruited cranberry fruit will contribute to extending the period of availability of these fruits on the market, the price of which increases significantly over time.
