Utilization of Ozone for the Improvement of Mentha piperita L. Quality by Reduction of Microbial Load and Impact of the Process on the Herb Properties

Herbs can be contaminated with microorganisms, which affects their quality while increasing the risk of food poisoning. Thus, there is a need for efficient decontamination techniques. In this study, the microbial load was reduced in peppermint herb (Mentha piperita L.) exposed to ozone at 10 ppm for 60 minutes. The quality of the ozonated herb was assessed by the determination of microbial load and essential oils content. Total microbial content was reduced by 4 log cfu g⁻¹ of the microorganisms whereas the contamination with molds was reduced from 10.07 log cfu g⁻¹ of the microorganisms to zero. Moreover, sensory evaluation of the herb aroma was conducted. These characteristics were not significantly affected by the treatment. Therefore, ozone can be used to improve the peppermint herb quality by reduction of the microbial contamination of peppermint herb while having no adverse effect on the herb aroma.