Safety, Quality and Processing of Postharvest Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Dear Colleagues,

Fresh fruits and vegetables and their processed products have become essential dietary choices in recent years, following some recent studies showing various health benefits associated with their consumption. The nutritional and product quality are a result of the different metabolic pathways, and the losses and wastes in the world are very high (30 to 65%) due to the use of inappropriate postharvest management. Thus, it is essential to preserve quality and to reduce loss and waste with the application of appropriate postharvest handling and management of fresh horticultural commodities. This can be achieved by a solid understanding of the mechanism involved in biological variations and metabolic pathways of maturation, ripening, senescence, and biological and nonbiological stress. New techniques for reducing undesired microbial contamination, spoilage, and decay, as well as maintaining a product’s visual, textural, and nutritional quality are required in all steps of the production and distribution chain. To ensure the quality of product, today, it is essential to provide effective suitable (new) technologies in food processing and food safety. Several methods have been developed to extend the storage period of fruits and vegetables. Suitability for the end use and the storage potential, shelf-life behavior, and acceptability for processing are very much determined by physiological and biochemical characteristics of the product. The knowledge of the biochemical and physiological bases of safety and quality evolution in fruits and vegetables provides good guidance for the maintenance of commodities and for the proper use of postharvest technologies and proper commercial product utilization. Lack of this knowledge is the principal factor of quality deteriorations.

Prof. Dr. Rinaldo Botondi
Guest Editor

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