Recent advances in processing and preservation of minimally processed fruits and vegetables: A review – Part 1: Fundamentals and chemical methods

Abstract

The mechanical damage caused by minimal processing drastically reduces the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, making them more susceptible to microbial contamination, nutritional, and sensory changes. Maintaining the quality of minimally processed products during storage necessarily depends on the use of preservation technologies, whether applied through physical or chemical methods or their combination. In the first part of this review, some fundamentals of minimal processing steps are detailed, which include the implications on the respiratory metabolism, ethylene biosynthesis and action, appearance, texture, aroma, flavor, water loss, and microbiological safety of these products. Furthermore, the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of the main chemical preservation methods in minimally processed fruits and vegetables are explored. The challenge of this work was to provide the scientific foundation for food producers and processors to identify the most suitable and effective preservation method for a variety of minimally processed fruits and vegetables.