Mold Growth on Strawberries and Cherries during Storage at 25C

Mold species that grew on the surface of retailed strawberries (10 packs, 211 strawberries) and cherries (18 packs, 441 cherries) during storage at 25C were isolated and identified to evaluate the state of mold growth. Mold growth was observed on 208 (98.6%) of the 211 strawberries and 193 (43.8%) of the 441 cherries. The mold species most frequently isolated from strawberries was Botrytis cinerea, being observed in 81.0% of the strawberries examined, followed by Cladosporium and Alternaria alternata. The mold most frequently isolated from cherries was Alternaria (28.7%), followed by Penicillium, Botrytis, and Cladosporium. The frequency of cherries on which mold growth was observed varied among packs. Mold tended to grow more often in the areas of the fruits in contact with adjacent fruits.