Fruits and Vegetables: Processing Technologies and Applications

Processing of fruits and vegetables is very important to produce products for direct consumption and as food ingredients. During processing, the main objectives are to preserve the color, flavor, texture, and nutrition while prolonging the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables. This chapter is divided into two main sections: raw materials and basic processing. In the raw materials section, important chemical composition, pigments, and enzymes in fruits and vegetables, as well as their role in processing, are discussed. In the basic processing section, the processes used in the production of fruits and vegetables, including grading, washing, cooling, peeling, blanching, size reduction, freezing, dehydration, canning, minimal processing, and sustainability, are described. Basic information, conditions, and equipment commercially used in each process are discussed.