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Unit Processing Operations in the Fresh-Cut Horticultural Products Industry: Quality and Safety Preservation

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Food Quality, Safety and Technology

Abstract

The current high demand of minimally processed or fresh-cut fruit and vegetables results from the consumer’s desire for healthy, convenient, fresh, and ready-to-eat plant food derived commodities. Human nutritional research has increasingly shown that a well-balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, promotes good health and may reduce the risk of certain diseases. These new elaborates show similar characteristics to the whole original product, contain exclusively natural ingredients, are of good quality with relatively low price, and do not need time for preparation. Indeed, they are elaborated by using mild unit processing operations, to decrease the product deterioration ratio, and packaged with suitable polymeric films, usually under active or passive modified atmosphere packaging while its shelf life is under refrigerated conditions. The most important goal to preserve quality and safety is releasing the microbial spoilage flora since every unit operation involved will influence the final microbial load. For that reason, the implementation of a proper disinfection program, together with the development of new molecular tools for microbial diagnosis, should be the main concern. Sanitation in the washing step is the only operation able to reduce microbial load throughout the production chain. Chlorine is widely used as an efficient sanitation agent, but some disadvantages force to find emerging alternatives. It is necessary to deal with aspects related to sustainability because, apart from reducing its use, it could positively contribute to the net carbon balance. Several eco-friendly innovative techniques seem to reach that target. However, industrial changes for replacing conventional with innovative technologies request a fine knowledge of the benefits and restrictions as well as a practical outlook. This chapter describes the general steps used in the fresh-cut industry and reports emergent techniques to preserve quality and safety of minimally processed horticultural products.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the European Union, DG for Science Research and Development (CRAFT Program Contracts QLK1-1999-707917 y OLK1-CT-2002-70791), to the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Projects AGL2005-08189-C02-01/ALI, and AGL2007-63861/ALI and AGL2010-19201-C04-02-AGR), and to Fundación Séneca de la Región de Murcia in Spain (Project 00553/PI/04) for financial support. We would also like to acknowledge the companies who have worked with us in R+D related to this research line: Repsol Petróleo S.A., Plásticos de Alzira, S.A., Primaflor S.A.T., Canarihorta, Frutas Hermanos Mira S.L., Kernel Export S.L., Frutas Esparza S.L., Perichán S.A.T., Pozosur S.L., and Sakata Seeds S.L.U.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postharvest and Refrigeration Group, Department of Food Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

    Francisco Artés-Hernández & Francisco Artés

  2. Institute of Plant Biotechnology, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Edificio I+D+i. Campus Muralla del Mar., 30202, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

    Francisco Artés-Hernández, Perla A. Gómez & Francisco Artés

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  1. Francisco Artés-Hernández
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  2. Perla A. Gómez
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  3. Francisco Artés
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Correspondence to Francisco Artés-Hernández .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State Univeristy (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

    Giuseppina P. P. Lima

  2. Department of Chemical Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Fabio Vianello

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Artés-Hernández, F., Gómez, P.A., Artés, F. (2013). Unit Processing Operations in the Fresh-Cut Horticultural Products Industry: Quality and Safety Preservation. In: Lima, G., Vianello, F. (eds) Food Quality, Safety and Technology. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1640-1_3

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