CBD has been shown to help with a dizzying array of human wellness issuesābut now you can add fruit preservation to that list, according to a recent study.
Yes, the non-intoxicating cannabinoid apparently helps strawberries stay fresh, researchers at the University of South Florida found.
Extract Labs proudly supplied CBD Isolate to USF in Tampa for this research. The studyāset to be published in the journal Postharvest Biology and Technologyātested the antimicrobial effects of CBD by dousing strawberries in CBD oil after theyād been harvested. Researchers wanted to know if doing so would āreduce microbial growth and extend the shelf life.ā
Treating strawberries with CBD oil lengthens shelf life and reduces microbial load.
āStrawberries were evaluated for visual quality and microbial load before and during storage,ā the paperās abstract states. āResults from this study showed that CBD oil was effective at maintaining the visual appearance of strawberriesā¦compared to the fruit that was not treated.ā
There was also a significant reduction in the microbial load that the fruits carried if they were treated with CBD, versus those that were not. That resulted in less mold and yeast production, too.
CBD oil inhibited yeast and mold growth on strawberries. Strawberries treated with CBD oil had better overall quality compared to non-[treated] fruit.
While the study focused on strawberries, the findings indicate that āCBD oil has promising potential as an antimicrobial treatment to fresh produceā in general, the authors concluded.
To achieve the extended freshness, researchers stored the cannabinoid-treated fruit at at 1 degree Celsius for 8 days and 10 degrees Celsius for to 8 days. The results show that āCBD oil has the potential to be used by consumers at home as an effective antimicrobial treatment and to extend strawberry shelf life,ā they wrote.
The new strawberry study states that because of the current lack of federal regulations for the cannabis compound āthere are still many uncertainties surrounding the use of CBD as a food additive and the science and benefits behind using CBD in food formulations.ā
If you would like to read more about this study, you can read the completed paper here.
