ABSTRACT
Global consumer demand for fresh tasting and nutritious, high-quality foods has created considerable interest in the development of new or improved postharvest storage and food-processing techniques. The competitive struggle for markets, which has resulted from more liberalised trade regimes, requires a much greater emphasis on highly efficient and effective post-harvest technologies including handling, processing and distribution in order to access markets further and further afield. While there is no doubt that traditional methods have contributed to improved food availability and safety in the past, conventional heating and cooling reduce many quality attributes of foods.
Consumers are demanding access to more and more fresh products, no matter where in the world they are. This demand, together with the banning of ozone-depleting fumigants has created the incentive to ensure a much wider use of improved post-harvest storage methods as well as new and emerging non-thermal technologies.
Several factors lead to the cumulative causes of post-harvest food losses in developing countries. These include inefficient harvesting and handling methods, poor processing techniques, inadequate methods of storage and distribution and even poor preparation of foods in the home. The wide range of current technologies for post-harvest anti-microbial or disinfestation treatment are described including hot water application, treatment with synthetic as well as natural compounds and physical treatments. The most promising of the new and emerging post-harvest technologies are also described, including food irradiation, high-pressure processing, pulsed-electric fields and pulsed light applications. Despite the demonstrated safety and value of the new technologies, concern still remains regarding the misperceptions related to their application.
