ABSTRACT
290Numerous factors (e.g., growth of pathogenic microorganisms) affect the preservation and safety of slightly processed foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits. There is an increasing trend to centrally process fresh fruits and vegetables, properly packaged, for distribution and marketing. Ionizing irradiation as a nonthermal technology proved to be effective in reducing postharvest losses, and controlling insects and microorganisms in stored products. Irradiation demonstrated to be extremely beneficial in terms of extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by 3–5 times. In order not to expose fruits and vegetables to high irradiation doses, another approach is to use the “hurdle technology,” that is, to apply more than one technology toward better quality and longer shelf life. This chapter summarizes all the results obtained in this field on fruits and vegetables and provides an insight into the various methods for the detection of irradiated foods.
