ABSTRACT
Fresh-cut fruit and vegetables (FCFV) constitute a fresh, healthy and convenient alternative for introducing fresh fruit and vegetables as components of a healthy diet. FCFV are living and respiring tissues, with high water activity (0.80–0.98) and almost neutral pH values. These conditions make FCFV a suitable environment for microbial growth, and they are still one of the main causes of foodborne illness outbreaks. Thus, the FCFV industry utilizes different preservation strategies combined to guarantee produce quality and safety. Chlorine and sulfites are the most traditionally used sanitizer and antioxidant, respectively, but increasing concerns about their potential negative impacts on human health and the environment have led to the search for innovative preservation alternatives. In this chapter, an overview of the main approaches developed to mitigate FCFV physiological, biochemical and microbiological alterations is presented. The main advantages and drawbacks of alternative techniques, their modes of action, main applications and restrictions are described. These techniques include chemical (chlorine dioxide, electrolyzed water, ozone, peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, organic acids, etc.), physical (irradiation, UV and pulsed light, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressures, cold plasma) and biological methods. Also, innovations in the packaging field aimed to replace or decrease the use of plastics are also reviewed.
