ABSTRACT
Consumer expectation of quality of fresh-cut products is very high and there is a need for quality standardization, especially considering the high biological variability of the raw material. It is known that the shelf life of cut products, as a result of wounding, is shorter than the corresponding whole product and that many factors may affect the final quality of the product. Among these, preharvest factors and processing conditions are the first to be considered, but very little is known about the impact of postharvest handling and storage before processing on the final quality of the cut products. In this chapter, the main preharvest and postharvest factors affecting quality and safety of cut products will be discussed, covering the most recent findings on this topic with particular regard to the research directly relating the impact of these factors on the shelf life of the final product.
