Articles
FRESH-CUT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
New fruit and vegetable products which are minimally processed, e.g., fresh-cut and packed in a convenient way, are introduced into the market.
These ‘living’ products require special care during the whole handling process from harvest to consumption to guarantee premium quality.
Quality loss of fruits and vegetables is due to moisture loss, senescence, deterioration and microbial growth.
In the case of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables these processes are accelerated because of exposed cellular material that lacks protective skins.
To overcome these problems and to have a reasonable shelf-life of fresh-cut products, optimum temperature and relative humidity needs to be maintained during the whole chain from harvest to consumption.
Microbial loads can be minimised by implementing HACCP programs into the production process.
Furthermore, a suitable application of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) retards the respiration rate of the product and prevents moisture loss and microbial growth.
However, too low oxygen concentrations that lead to fermentative metabolism have to be avoided.
Under these anaerobic circumstances the product has in many cases a fresh appearance but off-odours and off-taste make it unsuitable for consumption.
This paper reviews the recent literature on factors affecting quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables and addresses the specific methodologies to maintain quality and microbial safety of these highly perishable products.