In spring, summer, autumn and winter, you can always find "shiny" fruit in supermarkets or fruit stalls. In fact, this is mostly due to fruit preservatives, which are often applied to the surface of the fruit to slow down the spoilage.

Commonly used fruit preservatives include benzoic acid, butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA), dibutylhydroxytoluene (BHT), bicarbonate of soda, ethoxyquinoline, etc. There are also preservatives such as potassium sorbate, sodium diacetate and calcium acetate for freshness.

Fruit preservatives are mainly aimed at preventing and killing the growth of microorganisms and bacteria in fruit, and maintaining relative humidity to avoid evaporation of water. The correct use of fruit preservatives does allow fruit to play a good role in preserving freshness, but if the preservatives are over the limit or added illegally, they are very harmful to the human body. It may lead to genetic damage, damage to liver and kidney functions, and can also lead to chronic poisoning, etc.

CBD may be the healthiest fruit preservative

Many of you may know that CBD (cannabidiol) has antibacterial properties that are particularly effective for human skin care, and this time, the application scenario of CBD's antibacterial properties is again out of the imagination.

In recent times, researchers at the University of Florida have published online their new findings that CBD oil can be used as a preservative to inhibit the growth of yeast and moulds when applied to fruits that need to be preserved.

The University of South Florida's study "Use of cannabidiol as a potential preservative to maintain quality and extend shelf life of strawberries" will be published in the March 2021 issue of the journal Postharvest Biology and Technology.

CBD oil extends the shelf life of strawberries

This new study shows that CBD oil covered strawberries can extend the shelf life and protect the fruit from bacteria. The researchers believe this will potentially lead to good commercial opportunities for the CBD industry:

"The results of assessments of the visual quality and microbial load of strawberries before and during storage showed that CBD oil was effective in maintaining the visual appearance of strawberries compared to untreated fruit."

The researchers stored both groups of strawberries at 1 degree Celsius for eight days each, and at 10 degrees Celsius for eight days, and there were fewer microorganisms, less mould and less yeast present on strawberries treated with CBD oil.

It is clear that "CBD oil can be used by businesses and households as an effective natural, harmless antibacterial agent and to extend the shelf life of strawberries". It is safe to say that CBD oil could also be applied to other fruit preservation applications.

From these results, the research team concluded that:

  • CBD oil has a broad potential as a preservative.
  • Fruits treated with CBD oil are of higher quality after storage and transport.

Other research

A study published in June this year by Australian researchers showed that cannabinoids were able to kill all strains of bacteria, including those highly resistant to existing antibiotics, and effectively treated skin infections in mice. In addition, the bacteria did not develop resistance to CBD even after 20 days of exposure to CBD, during which time they can develop resistance to antibiotics.

A similar study by the University of Southern Denmark, published in March this year, used CBD as a 'co-compound' to enhance the effect of bacteriocin antibiotics on staphylococcal infections. When the researchers combined CBD with antibiotics, they "found that it was more effective than antibiotics alone" and could kill a wide range of bacteria, requiring less antibiotics.

And an independent study published in February found that CBD and CBG (cannabidiol) were able to beat a family of bacteria known as "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA".

The prospect of CBD applications is like a huge treasure waiting to be explored.