Fresh Cuts

Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables: Science, Technology, and Market provides a comprehensive reference source for the emerging fresh-cut fruits and vegetables industry. It focuses on the unique biochemical, physiological, microbiological, and quality changes in fresh-cut processing and storage and on the distinct equipment design, packaging requiremen

Because they meet the needs of today’s consumers, fresh-cut plant products are currently one of the hottest commodities in the food market of industrialized countries. However, fresh-cut produce deteriorates faster than the correspondent intact produce. The main purpose of Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables: Technology, Physiology, and Safety is to provide helpful guidelines to the industry for minimizing deterioration, keeping the overall quality, and lengthening the shelf life. It provides an integrated and interdisciplinary approach for accomplishing the challenges, where raw materials, handling, minimal processing, packaging, commercial distribution, and retail sale must be well managed. It covers technology, physiology, quality, and safety of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. In this book, the chapters follow a logical sequence analyzing most of the important factors affecting the main characteristics of fresh-cut horticultural products. The most relevant technologies to prevent deterioration and improve final overall quality of fresh-cut commodities are described in detail. This book covers the basics of the subject from quality preservation, nutritional losses, physiology, and safety to industry-oriented advancements in sanitization, coatings, and packaging. It examines such novel preservation technologies as edible coatings, antimicrobial coatings, natural antimicrobials, gum arabic coatings, and pulsed light treatments. Minimal processing design and industrial equipment are also reviewed. With its international team of contributors, this book will be an essential reference work both for professionals involved in the postharvest handling of fresh-cut and minimally processed fruits and vegetables and for academic and researchers working in the area.

Despite a worldwide increase in demand for fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, in many countries these products are prepared in uncontrolled conditions and have the potential to pose substantial risk for consumers. Correspondingly, researchers have ramped up efforts to provide adequate technologies and practices to assure product safety while keeping n

Fresh-cut apples show a short shelf life. Microbial loads, rapid tissue browning, and loss of texture and flavour limit their customers’ acceptability. Therefore, postharvest storage in sugar-syrup or suitable fruit juice solutions are common practices to extend shelf life. However, knowledge on the effects of these applications on the produce are sketchy. Nevertheless, adequate and gentle sanitation is essential, and short-term hot-water treatment (sHWT) may be an effective method to reduce microbial contaminations. For fruit salad production, however, sHWT needs to be optimised. Objective of this thesis was the evaluation of the effects of complete immersion of fresh-cut apple slices in sugar solution or orange juice on quality attributes and physiology. This thesis analysed the potential synergistic interactive effects caused by sugar syrup immersion of apple slices and reduced O2 availability on the emissions of volatile organic compounds. In addition, the potential implications of sHWT in the temperature range of 55–65 °C on quality attributes, fruit aroma and product physiology of immersed fresh-cut apple slices were investigated. Frisch geschnittene Äpfel haben eine kurze Haltbarkeit. Mikrobielles Wachstum, schnelle Gewebebräunung und der Verlust von Textur und Geschmack schränken die Akzeptanz des Kunden ein. Daher ist die Lagerung nach der Ernte in Zuckersirup oder geeigneten Fruchtsaftlösungen eine gängige Praxis, um die Haltbarkeit zu verlängern. Die Kenntnisse über die Auswirkungen dieser Anwendungen auf die Erzeugnisse sind jedoch lückenhaft. Zudem kann eine Kurzzeit-Heißwasserbehandlung (sHWT) eine wirksame Methode zur Verringerung mikrobieller Kontaminationen sein. Für die Obstsalatherstellung muss die sHWT jedoch optimiert werden. Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Bewertung des vollständigen Eintauchens von frisch geschnittenen Apfelscheiben in Zuckerlösung oder Orangensaft in Bezug auf Produktqualität und -physiologie. Es wurden die potenziellen synergistischen Wechselwirkungen zwischen dem Eintauchen der Apfelscheiben in Zuckersirup und der reduzierten Sauerstoffverfügbarkeit auf die Emission flüchtiger organischer Verbindungen untersucht. Darüber hinaus wurden die potenziellen Auswirkungen einer sHWT im Temperaturbereich von 55-65 °C auf die Qualitätsmerkmale, das Fruchtaroma und die Produktphysiologie von eingetauchten, frisch geschnittenen Apfelscheiben untersucht.

Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables: Technologies and Mechanisms for Safety Control covers conventional and emerging technologies in one single source to help industry professionals maintain and enhance nutritional and sensorial quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables from a quality and safety perspective. The book provides available literature on different approaches used in fresh-cut processing to ensure safety and quality. It discusses techniques with the aim of preserving quality and safety in sometimes unpredictable environments. Sanitizers, antioxidants, texturizers, natural additives, fortificants, probiotics, edible coatings, active and intelligent packaging are all presented. Both advantages and potential consequences are included to ensure microbial safety, shelf-life stability and preservation of organoleptic and nutritional quality. Industry researchers, professionals and students will all find this resource essential to understand the feasibility and operability of these techniques in modern-day processing to make informed choices. Provides current information on microbial infection, quality preservation, and technology with in-depth discussions on safety mechanisms Presents ways to avoid residue avoidance in packaging and preservation Includes quality issues of microbial degradation and presents solutions for pre-harvest management

Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of modern MAP technologies for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Coverage begins with the general MAP concept and application by introducing the concept of MAP, how MAP works for fresh-cut produce and the benefits and shortfalls of MAP in its application. The book then discusses the basic aspects of MAP – packaging materials and machinery. In these sections, the book addresses not only the general information about MAP materials, but also supplies examples to introduce the new packaging films and their successful application in produce and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Unique chapters and sections in the book include relevant patents for MAP, commercial practices and MAP packaging machinery. Generally, packaging machinery is only included in books specifically covering packaging engineering. Coverage of this important aspect is included in the book since fresh-cut manufacturers spend much more time in the day-to-day operations on packaging machinery and systems as compared to packaging film materials. In the final section, Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables highlights the latest developments in the packaging industry and how they could impact the fresh-cut industry.

Color photographs and text provide information on how to design natural decorative arrangements using not only flowers, but leaf buds, leaves, stems, branches, bark, roots, pistils and stamens, pollen, fruits and berries, and seeds and pods.

Horticulture Reviews is an open-ended, serial continuation series of review articles on research in commercial horticulture crops. This detailed analysis bridges the gap between the specialized researcher and the broader community of plant scientists.