Concerns about fresh-cut products include their variable shelf life, the need for temperature control, microbial food safety, and inconsistent overall product quality, including flavor and nutrition. While most food-processing techniques stabilize products and lengthen their storage and shelf life, fresh-cut processing increases the perishability of fruit and vegetables.
This volume addresses the physiology of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, treatments for maintaining quality, optimal storage temperatures, and modified atmospheres. The chapter on processed products covers the principles of horticultural crop preservation, the importance of raw material quality, and common unit operations and technologies used for processing horticultural crops. The advantages and disadvantages of various technologies are addressed, followed by general information on packaging and quality control.
This is Volume 9 in Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops, 4th Edition