Quality Control of Fruits and Vegetables during Postharvest Storage and Shelf Life

Dear Colleagues,

Harvested fruit and vegetable products are metabolically active, undergoing ripening and senescence processes that must be controlled to prolong their postharvest quality. The inadequate management of these processes can result in major losses in nutritional value and quality, and financial loss for all players along the supply chain, from growers to consumers. Fresh fruits and vegetables are perishable living products and the coordinated efforts of growers, storage operators, processors, and retailers are required to maintain their quality and reduce food loss and waste. Low-temperature storage is the most common and effective technique for enhancing the shelf-life of the majority of fruits and vegetables. Low temperatures can substantially reduce the rate of respiration and various other metabolic activities, which reduces the rate of deterioration. However, most of tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables, such as peach, mango, banana, papaya, tomato, potato, cucumber, etc., are sensitive to low-temperature storage. The injury caused at low temperatures is known as chilling injury. The extent of a chilling injury depends upon various factors and varies from commodity to commodity. Chilling injuries can be alleviated by following certain measures such as temperature conditioning, intermittent warming, controlled atmosphere storage, waxing, packaging, ultraviolet radiation and by application of some chemicals such as salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, sodium nitroprusside, and polyamines.

Therefore, we would like to invite researchers to contribute original research articles and review articles to this Special Issue that are focused on the main factors that influence chilling resistance and methods to maintain the freshness, color, and firmness of products, as well as many other important sensorial attributes that directly reflect the product’s quality and acceptability. Other related topics that could be included are as follows: 

Methods and controlling technologies that play a role in quality, such as special packages and modified atmosphere.

Materials used in transport and their degree of damage to fruits and vegetables.

New methods to control quality decay in postharvest fruits and vegetables in general.

Dr. Qiong Lin
Dr. Yaoyao Zhao
Guest Editors

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• chilling injury
• fruit
• vegetable
• postharvest technology
• storage