Food scarcity and insecurity is an alarming issue throughout the world. Postharvest loss due to both mechanical damage and microbial spoilage significantly influences the shelf life and hence the availability of agricultural produce. Once initiated, the microbial spoilage can make bulk quantity of a given agricultural product unacceptable for human consumption, and several methods have already been used to try to manage this. Considering the limited success of the available methods, there is increasing interest in exploring nanotechnological methods. These methods are being considered for both the development of various platforms for antimicrobial/barrier packaging applications that minimize the contact of agricultural produce with the external environment, and also for design sensors to ensure food safety and quality. The impact of various nano-systems developed through material engineering on the shelf-life enhancement and storage of fresh horticultural produce will have revolutionary effects on post-harvest management in the coming years. Hence, Postharvest Nanotechnology for Fresh Horticultural Produce has been edited to advance understanding of material development, intelligent selection of nanomaterials to ensure the nontoxic nature, and future perspectives of nanotechnology on postharvest produce. This includes various types of nanoparticles exploited for the postharvest management, their mechanism of action, varied applications and material engineering, along with natural products including essential oils and plant bioactives, modelling of various tailor-made materials to meet the required properties of the packed food, advancements in the nanotechnological applications for the minimally processed food, and the toxicity concerns. Key Features: · Describes advances in nanotechnology for postharvest management · Includes extensive details on the applications of material engineering for post-harvest applications using nanotechnology and future aspects · Provides extensive data on the types of nanomaterials used and the fabrication methods employed for the design of tailor-made products for the post-harvest management This book reviews the current scientific advancements and future prospects of the nanotechnological interventions in meeting the quality and quantity standards of the horticultural produce and minimally processed food and will be a valuable reference for beginners, researchers, subject experts, and industrialists.

Postharvest Ripening Physiology of Crops is a comprehensive interdisciplinary reference source for the various aspects of fruit ripening and postharvest behavior. It focuses on the postharvest physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of ripening and provides an overview of fruits and vegetables, including chapters on the postharvest quality of ornamental plants and molecular biology of flower senescence. It describes various developments that have taken place in the last decade with respect to identifying and altering the function of ripening-related genes. Taking clues from studies in grape and tomato as model fruits, the book reviews a few case studies and gives you a detailed account of molecular regulation of fruit ripening, and signal transduction and internal atmospheres in relation to fruit ripening. It also presents an overview of methods utilized in fruit proteomics, as well as a global proteome and systems biology analysis of fruits during ripening, and discusses the basics of dormancy, its molecular and physiological basis, and methods to break the dormancy. The book provides an overview of the most important metabolic pathways and genes that control volatile biosynthesis in model fruits, including tropical, subtropical, and temperate fruits, with a special emphasis on fruit ripening and the role of ethylene during this process. It presents a brief description of the composition of volatiles in various fruit species and addresses the influences of preharvest factors and postharvest technologies on fruit aroma, basic mechanisms responsible for postharvest flavor change in fresh produce, and the potential impacts of various postharvest technologies on flavor.

Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has increased dramatically in the last several decades. This increased consumption has put a greater burden on the fresh produce industry to provide fresher product quality, combined with a high level of food safety. Therefore, postharvest handling, storage and shipment of horticultural crops, including fruit and vegetable products has increased in importance. Novel Postharvest Treatments of Fresh Produce focuses mainly on the application of novel treatments for fruits and vegetables shipping and handling life. A greater emphasis is placed on effects of postharvest treatments on senescence and ripening, bioactive molecule contents and food safety. The work presented within this book explores a wide range of topics pertaining to novel postharvest treatments for fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables including applications of various active agents, green postharvest treatments, physical treatments and combinations of the aforementioned.

This book, chock full of color illustrations, addresses the main postharvest physiological disorders studied in fruits and vegetables. For a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, Postharvest Physiological Disorders in Fruits and Vegetables describes visual symptoms, triggering and inhibiting mechanisms, and approaches to predict and control these disorders after harvest. Color photographs illustrate the disorders, important factors, physiology, and management. The book includes a detailed description of the visual symptoms, triggering and inhibiting mechanisms, and possible approaches to predict and control physiological disorders. The mechanisms triggering and inhibiting the disorders are discussed in detail in each chapter, based on recent studies, which can help readers better understand the factors regulating each disorder. The description of possible approaches to predict and control each disorder can help growers, shippers, wholesalers, and retailers to determine the best management practices to reduce disorder incidence and crop losses. Features: Presents visual symptoms of postharvest physiological disorders that will help readers to precisely identify the disorders in fruits and vegetables Details mechanisms triggering and inhibiting the postharvest disorders Explains possible approaches to predict and control these disorders Suggests the best postharvest management approaches for each crop Although there are many scientific publications on postharvest physiological disorders, there are no recent reviews or books putting together the most recent information about the mechanisms regulating, as well as about the possible approaches to predict and control these disorders.

Investigation on Effect of active modified atmosphere packaging and storage temperature on shelf life and quality of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) cv. Gola fruit was carried out with 21 treatment combinations. Two concentrations of oxygen (2% and 5%), three concentrations of carbon dioxide (5%, 10% and 15%) and one control (environmental gaseous composition with 21% O2 and 0.03% CO2) were used in packages. Fruits were stored at ambient, 12 C, or 6 C temperatures. Treatment combination 5% O2 & 5% CO2 at 6 C was found best for maintaining qualitative and physiological attributes and increased the shelf life up to 35 days, however, chilling injury on fruits were seen. Better retention of color coordinates (L*, a*, b*, h and C*), higher TSS and firmness, retention of higher ascorbic acid, acidity, phenol and moisture content, lower water loss and highest scores for overall orgenoleptic attributes were found in MAP with low temperatures. Finally this study indicated that Indian jujube fruit could be stored at 6 C for 35 days with MAP (5% O2 and 5% CO2) allowed conservation of ber fruits with highest quality parameters and minimal risk of disorder development."

The individual effect of juice extraction methods, processing temperature-time, potassium meta-bi-sulphite, storage temperatures, and exposure of fruits to ethylene concentrations was found to be significant in prolonging storage duration and maintaining the acceptable quality of mandarin juice. It can be concluded that the juice obtained from the fruits exposed to 500 ppm ethylene and extracted with screw type juice extractor, processed at 65C for 15 minutes, preserved with 1000 ppm potassium meta-bi-sulphite and stored under lower temperatures of 3-4C, proved to be the most effective treatment for quality parameters up to 6 months of storage. 85C processing temperature with 15 minutes holding time was observed to be most effective for reducing microbial load and inactivation of enzymes.

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.