ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the history, research, and presents use of vapor heat and hot air treatments. Quarantine treatments that subject fresh fruits and vegetables to heated air are vapor heat, referred to in some older literature as moist heat or heat sterilization, and high temperature forced air, commonly called forced hot air. A heated air treatment was developed against Mediterranean fruit fly, melon fly, and oriental fruit fly infesting Hawaii-grown papayas that used 40 – 60% relative humidity during the entire treatment without experiencing deleterious effects to fruit quality. The ideal humidity to maintain while treating fruit with forced hot air is one derived from a dew point slightly below the surface temperature of the fruit to keep moisture from condensing on the fruit. Low air flow rate was largely responsible for the long time spans required to heat fruits.
