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Editorial

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4 pages, 193 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

by Bernardo Pace and Maria Cefola

Foods 2021, 10(4), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10040719 - 29 Mar 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6352

Abstract

The preservation of the freshness of fruits and vegetables until their consumption is the aim of many research activities. Quality losses of fresh fruit and vegetables during cold chain are frequently attributable to an inappropriate use of postharvest technologies. Moreover, especially when fresh [...] Read more.

The preservation of the freshness of fruits and vegetables until their consumption is the aim of many research activities. Quality losses of fresh fruit and vegetables during cold chain are frequently attributable to an inappropriate use of postharvest technologies. Moreover, especially when fresh produce is transported to distant markets, it is necessary to adopt proper postharvest preservation technologies in order to preserve the initial quality and limit microbial decay. Nowadays, for each step of supply chain (packing house, cold storage rooms, precooling center, refrigerate transport and distribution), are available innovative preservation technologies that, alone or in combination, could improve the fresh products in order to maintain the principal quality and nutritional characteristics. The issue groups five original studies and two comprehensive reviews within the topic of preservation technologies related to innovative packaging and postharvest operation and treatments, highlighting their effect on quality keeping. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

Research

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16 pages, 7186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Kelulut Honey Nanoparticles Coating on the Changes of Respiration Rate, Ascorbic Acid, and Total Phenolic Content of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) during Cold Storage

by Bernard Maringgal, Norhashila Hashim, Intan Syafinaz Mohamed Amin Tawakkal, Mahmud Tengku Muda Mohamed, Muhammad Hazwan Hamzah and Maimunah Mohd Ali

Foods 2021, 10(2), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020432 - 16 Feb 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3043

Abstract

This study evaluated the respiration rate of coated and uncoated (control) papayas (Carica papaya L.) with 15% of Kelulut honey (KH) nanoparticles (Nps) coating solution during cold storage at 12 ± 1 °C for 21 days. The respiration rate of the papayas [...] Read more.

This study evaluated the respiration rate of coated and uncoated (control) papayas (Carica papaya L.) with 15% of Kelulut honey (KH) nanoparticles (Nps) coating solution during cold storage at 12 ± 1 °C for 21 days. The respiration rate of the papayas significantly changed during storage, with an increase in CO₂ and a decrease in O₂ and C₂H₄, while the ascorbic acid and total phenolic content was maintained. The changes in respiration rate were rather slower for coated papayas when compared to control ones. A kinetic model was established from the experimental data to describe the changes of O₂, CO₂, and C₂H₄ production in papayas throughout the storage period. All O₂, CO₂, and C₂H₄ were experimentally retrieved from a closed system method and then represented by the Peleg model. The outcomes indicated the Peleg constant K₁ and K₂, which were gained from linear regression analysis and coefficients of determination (R²), seemed to fit well with the experimental data, whereby the R² values exceeded 0.85 for both coated and control papayas. The model confirmed both the capability and predictability aspects of the respiration rate displayed by papayas coated with KH Nps throughout the cold storage period. This is supported by the differences in the stomatal aperture of coated and control papaya shown by microstructural images. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

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11 pages, 1000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Effect of Dipping in Oxalic or in Citric Acid and Low O₂ Modified Atmosphere, to Preserve the Quality of Fresh-Cut Lettuce during Storage

by Bernardo Pace, Imperatrice Capotorto, Michela Palumbo, Sergio Pelosi and Maria Cefola

Foods 2020, 9(8), 988; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9080988 - 24 Jul 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3498

Abstract

Leaf edge browning is the main factor affecting fresh-cut lettuce marketability. Dipping in organic acids as well as the low O₂ modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), can be used as anti-browning technologies. In the present research paper, the proper oxalic acid (OA) concentration, [...] Read more.

Leaf edge browning is the main factor affecting fresh-cut lettuce marketability. Dipping in organic acids as well as the low O₂ modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), can be used as anti-browning technologies. In the present research paper, the proper oxalic acid (OA) concentration, able to reduce respiration rate of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce, and the suitable packaging materials aimed to maintaining a low O₂ during storage, were selected. Moreover, the combined effect of dipping (in OA or in citric acid) and packaging in low O₂ was investigated during the storage of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce for 14 days. Results showed a significant effect of 5 mM OA on respiration rate delay. In addition, polypropylene/polyamide (PP/PA) was select as the most suitable packaging material to be used in low O₂ MAP. Combining OA dipping with low O₂ MAP using PP/PA as material, resulted able to reduce leaf edge browning, respiration rate, weight loss and electrolyte leakage, preserving the visual quality of fresh-cut lettuce until 8 days at 8 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

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23 pages, 2506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Active Cardboard Box with Smart Internal Lining Based on Encapsulated Essential Oils for Enhancing the Shelf Life of Fresh Mandarins

by Antonio López-Gómez, María Ros-Chumillas, Laura Buendía-Moreno, Laura Navarro-Segura and Ginés Benito Martínez-Hernández

Foods 2020, 9(5), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9050590 - 06 May 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3576

Abstract

Mandarins are usually sold in bulk and refrigerated in open cardboard boxes with a relatively short shelf-life (12–15 days) due to physiological and pathological disorders (rot, dehydration, internal breakdown, etc.). The influence of a controlled release of essential oils (EOs) from an active [...] Read more.

Mandarins are usually sold in bulk and refrigerated in open cardboard boxes with a relatively short shelf-life (12–15 days) due to physiological and pathological disorders (rot, dehydration, internal breakdown, etc.). The influence of a controlled release of essential oils (EOs) from an active packaging (including β-cyclodextrin-EOs inclusion complex) was studied on the mandarin quality stability, comparing different sized cardboard trays and boxes, either non-active or active, at the pilot plant scale (experiment 1; commercialization simulation at room temperature after a previous simulation of short transportation/storage of 5 days at 8 °C). Then, the selected package was further validated at the industrial scale (experiment 2; cold storage at 8 °C up to 21 days). Among package types, the active large box (≈10 kg fruit per box) better maintained the mandarin quality, extending the shelf life from two weeks (non-active large box) to three weeks at room temperature. Particularly, the active large box highly controlled microbial growth (up to two log units), reduced weight losses (by 1.6-fold), reduced acidity, and increased soluble solids (highly appreciated in sensory analyses), while it minimized colour and controlled firmness changes after three weeks. Such trends were also observed during the validation experiment, extending the shelf life (based on sensory quality) from 14 to at least 21 days. In conclusion, the mandarin’s shelf life with this active cardboard box format was extended more than one week at 8 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

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15 pages, 3313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combination of Low Fluctuation of Temperature with TiO₂ Photocatalytic/Ozone for the Quality Maintenance of Postharvest Peach

by Xiaoyu Jia, Jiangkuo Li, Meijun Du, Zhiyong Zhao, Jianxin Song, Weiqiao Yang, Yanli Zheng, Lan Chen and Xihong Li

Foods 2020, 9(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9020234 - 21 Feb 2020

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4878

Abstract

Chilling injury, tissue browning, and fungal infection are the major problems of peach fruit during post-harvest storage. In this study, a precise temperature control cold storage with low-temperature fluctuation (LFT) and internal circulation flow system is designed. An ozone (O₃) generator [...] Read more.

Chilling injury, tissue browning, and fungal infection are the major problems of peach fruit during post-harvest storage. In this study, a precise temperature control cold storage with low-temperature fluctuation (LFT) and internal circulation flow system is designed. An ozone (O₃) generator and a (titanium dioxide) TiO₂ photocatalytic reactor were applied to cold storage to investigate the variation of LFT combined with ozone fumigation and a TiO₂ photocatalytic reactor in the efficiency of delaying ripening and maintaining peach fruit quality. Results showed that the temperature fluctuation with the improved control system was only ±0.1 to ±0.2 °C compared with that of ±0.5 to ±1.0 °C in conventional cold storage. LFT significantly reduced the chilling injury of peach fruit during storage. Although LFT combined with fumigation of 200 mg m⁻³ ozone periodical treatment slightly damaged the peach fruit after 40 d of storage, its combination with the TiO₂ photocatalytic system significantly improved the postharvest storage quality of the fruit. This treatment maintained higher titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), better firmness, color, microstructure, and lower decay rate, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities, total phenol accumulation, respiratory intensity, ethylene production, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content during 60 d of storage. All the results show that LFT combined with the TiO₂ photocatalytic system might be a promising technology for quality preservation in peach fruit storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

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14 pages, 3486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Cutting Styles on Quality and Antioxidant Activity of Stored Fresh-Cut Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Cultivars

by Atigan Komlan Dovene, Li Wang, Syed Umar Farooq Bokhary, Miilion Paulos Madebo, Yonghua Zheng and Peng Jin

Foods 2019, 8(12), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8120674 - 12 Dec 2019

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4156

Abstract

The effect of cutting styles (slice, pie, and shred) on the quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of purple and yellow flesh sweet potato cultivars during six days of storage at 4 °C was investigated. The results indicated that the sliced and pie samples [...] Read more.

The effect of cutting styles (slice, pie, and shred) on the quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of purple and yellow flesh sweet potato cultivars during six days of storage at 4 °C was investigated. The results indicated that the sliced and pie samples showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) on the firmness, weight loss, and vitamin C content compared with the whole sweet potato in both cultivars during storage. The pie sample exhibited the highest wound-induced phenolic, flavonoid, and carotenoid accumulation and DPPH radical scavenging activity among the cuts in both cultivars. Moreover, the shredded sample showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity but lower total phenolic and flavonoid content and the lowest antioxidant activity among the samples. Thus, the finding of this study revealed that pie-cut processing has potential in improving the quality and increasing the antioxidant activity of fresh-cut purple and yellow flesh sweet potato cultivars while shredding accelerated the quality deterioration of both sweet potato cultivars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

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Review

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13 pages, 303 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) as a Disinfection Technology for Bacterial Inactivation with a Focus on Fruit and Vegetables

by Aswathi Soni, Jonghyun Choi and Gale Brightwell

Foods 2021, 10(1), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010166 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 6793

Abstract

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is generated by treating water with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) using controllable parameters, such as plasma-forming voltage, carrier gas, temperature, pulses, or frequency as required. PAW is reported to have lower pH, higher conductivity, and higher oxygen reduction potential when [...] Read more.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is generated by treating water with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) using controllable parameters, such as plasma-forming voltage, carrier gas, temperature, pulses, or frequency as required. PAW is reported to have lower pH, higher conductivity, and higher oxygen reduction potential when compared with untreated water due to the presence of reactive species. PAW has received significant attention from researchers over the last decade due to its non-thermal and non-toxic mode of action especially for bacterial inactivation. The objective of the current review is to develop a summary of the effect of PAW on bacterial strains in foods as well as model systems such as buffers, with a specific focus on fruit and vegetables. The review elaborated the properties of PAW, the effect of various treatment parameters on its efficiency in bacterial inactivation along with its usage as a standalone technology as well as a hurdle approach with mild thermal treatments. A section highlighting different models that can be employed to generate PAW alongside a direct comparison of the PAW characteristics on the inactivation potential and the existing research gaps are also included. The mechanism of action of PAW on the bacterial cells and any reported effects on the sensory qualities and shelf life of food has been evaluated. Based on the literature, it can be concluded that PAW offers a significant potential as a non-chemical and non-thermal intervention for bacterial inactivation, especially on food. However, the applicability and usage of PAW depend on the effect of environmental and bacterial strain-based conditions and cost-effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

24 pages, 744 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Botrytis cinerea and Table Grapes: A Review of the Main Physical, Chemical, and Bio-Based Control Treatments in Post-Harvest

by Nicola De Simone, Bernardo Pace, Francesco Grieco, Michela Chimienti, Viwe Tyibilika, Vincenzo Santoro, Vittorio Capozzi, Giancarlo Colelli, Giuseppe Spano and Pasquale Russo

Foods 2020, 9(9), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9091138 - 19 Aug 2020

Cited by 94 | Viewed by 12809

Abstract

Consumers highly appreciate table grapes for their pleasant sensory attributes and as good sources of nutritional and functional compounds. This explains the rising market and global interest in this product. Along with other fruits and vegetables, table grapes are considerably perishable post-harvest due [...] Read more.

Consumers highly appreciate table grapes for their pleasant sensory attributes and as good sources of nutritional and functional compounds. This explains the rising market and global interest in this product. Along with other fruits and vegetables, table grapes are considerably perishable post-harvest due to the growth of undesired microorganisms. Among the microbial spoilers, Botrytis cinerea represents a model organism because of its degrading potential and the huge economic losses caused by its infection. The present review provides an overview of the recent primary physical, chemical, and biological control treatments adopted against the development of B. cinerea in table grapes to extend shelf life. These treatments preserve product quality and safety. This article also focuses on the compliance of different approaches with organic and sustainable production processes. Tailored approaches include those that rely on controlled atmosphere and the application of edible coating and packaging, as well as microbial-based activities. These strategies, applied alone or in combination, are among the most promising solutions in order to prolong table grape quality during cold storage. In general, the innovative design of applications dealing with hurdle technologies holds great promise for future improvements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Preservation Technology for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables)

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