Quality of fresh-cut products as affected by harvest and postharvest operations

Abstract The demand for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables is increasing across the globe, owing to their rich nutritional profile. The nutritional quality and shelf stability of these commodities depend primarily on different pre- and postharvest operations. Various physical and biological agents are emerging due to illegitimate. Pre- and postharvest pose a significant threat to the product quality from farm to fork. The main quality losses take place in terms of color, flavor, texture, and nutritional profile. Unconventional sanitization techniques, advances processing operations help to ensure the safety, nutritious, and keeping quality of fresh-cut fruit and vegetable. The emerging technologies in postharvest services (edible coating, minimal chemical treatment, modified, and controlled packaging) have played a pivotal role in improving the overall quality and shelf life of the fruits and vegetables. This chapter provides the readers with a brief overview regarding the concept of fresh-cut products, the role of pre- and postharvest operations on nutritional quality, fresh-cut processing operations, quality attributes, the strategies to maintain the quality of fresh-cut product, and the existing literature on the subject. The material presented in this chapter would be hugely advantageous for maintaining the pre- and postharvest quality of fresh-cut produce.