ABSTRACT
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants namely vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds; which have health-protective effects. Diet rich in fruits and vegetables pose low risk of degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancers and neural disorders through the minimization of the risk of oxidative stress. Food processing has effects on fruits and vegetables from harvest, transport, and to storage in ways that can lead to adversarial variations in the physiological status. Moreover, the health-endorsing content of fruit and vegetables depends on their processing history. Vitamin C and polyphenols are more vulnerable to lose during processing and these health-promoting phytochemicals including antioxidants in fruits and vegetables should be well-preserved during storage and handling.
