## 4 Use as a Possible Food Additive
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Food System** & **Structural Matrix and Dose** & **Effect** & **Ref.** \\ \hline Kiwifruit & Citral, 600 \(\mu\)L/L & Extension of postharvest quality by enhancing antioxidant capacity. & [82] \\ Bread & 230 mg/mL each, citral and eugenol & Antifungal activity on _A. niger_ and shelf life extension. & [16] \\ Fruit juices & Citral and vanillin, 100 and 1000 mg/L, respectively, and UV-C treatment & 5-log growth reduction of _E. coli_, _L. plantarum_, and _S. cerevisiae_. & [131] \\ Fresh-cut pineapples & Alginate-based coating containing citral nanoemulsions at 0.1–0.5\% & Reduced microbial growth and improved shelf life quality. & [130] \\ Shatangju Mandarin & Liposome-nanoencapsulated citral at 125 g/L & Shelf life extension and antimicrobial effect on _E. coli_, _B. subtilis_, _S. aureus_, and _P. italicum_. & [129] \\ Tomato fruit & 1-methylcyclopropene and citral, 1.0 \(\mu\)L/L and 5.8 \(\mu\)L, respectively & Suppression of spore germination and mycelia growth of _Botrytis cinerea_. & [132] \\ Fresh chicken fillets & Kafrin-based films incorporating 1.25\% & Antimicrobial activity against total viable count and improvement of quality. & [133] \\ Ground beef & 1\% citral and high-pressure homogenization treatment & Promoted inactivation of _E. coli_ and improved the high-pressure homogenization treatment. & [15] \\ Ground beef & 1\%, 2\%, and 3\% of citral and temperature (55, 57.5, 60, and 62.5 \({}^{\circ}\)C) & The combination of citral and temperature temperature significantly reduced the concentration of _E. coli_ at all tested temperatures. & [17] \\ Fresh-cut apple & Pectin-based coatings enriched with 0.15\% citral. & Control of microbial spoilage and preservation of fruit quality. & [14] \\ Raspberry & Pectin-based coatings enriched with 0.15\% citral and 0.1\% eugenol & Control of microbial spoilage and preservation of fruit quality. & [134] \\ Strawberry & Pectin-based coatings enriched with 0.15\% citral and alginate-based coatings enriched with eugenol. & Better sensorial qualities. & [134] \\ Fresh-cut apples & 125 mg/L each, citral and hexanal+2-(E)-hexanal & Inhibition of yeast spoilage and shelf life and quality extension. & [135] \\ Apricot juice & 50 mg/L citral and high-pressure homogenization treatment & Inhibition of _S. cerevisiae_ SPA. & [136] \\ Packaged salad & 7.5\% of citral in an antimicrobial active bag of EVOH & Reduced the number of lactic acid bacteria. & [137] \\ Cabbage and chicken skin & 0.03 and 0.06\% of citral & Antimicrobial activity against _L. monocytogenes_ and _S. aureus_ in cabbage. & [138] \\ Fish cubes & 0.5–3.0\% of citral & Antimicrobial effect against _S. typhimuriumurium_. & [13] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} EVOH: Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers.  
\end{table} 
Table 8: Application of citral in foods. technique used to reduce or inactivate certain foodborne microorganisms, often requires high pressures that can compromise food quality. However, recent findings indicate that incorporating citral can reduce the pressure requirements in HPP while improving the inactivation of pathogenic bacteria, such as _E. coli_, commonly found in ground beef and linked to severe intestinal and urinary ailments [15]. With citral concentration at 1% and pressures set at 350 and 400 mPA, a reduction between 3-6 log CFU/g in bacterial concentration is achieved within 24 h and 4 \({}^{\circ}\)C. In contrast, to achieve comparable results solely through HPP, a pressure of 500 mPa would be required [15]. This combination has also extended the shelf life of apricot juice. The incorporation of 50 mg/L of citral, coupled with a pressure of 100 mPa reduced the viability of _S. cerevisiae_ yeast cells and increased viscosity by enhancing pectin methylesterase activity attributed to HPP [136]. Furthermore, the combination of 3% citral with temperature demonstrated a significant decline in the microbial load of _E. coli_ inoculated into ground beef.