ABSTRACT
With regard to overall quality, it is much clearer that quality of fresh fruit or vegetable changes from harvest to consumption. These changes are due to physiological or technological processes related to fruit ripening and ending with senescence, and thus determine the shelf life of a particular fruit. The increase in the storage life of fruits is carried out through the development of new postharvest technologies aimed at reducing the rate of deterioration and maintaining the desirable characteristics of the fruits, leading to a great expansion of the opportunities for the industry to supply high-quality fruits to local and export markets. However, the development of most effective handling procedures and innovative postharvest technologies to ensure the quality without compromising the safety and nutritional value of fruits depends on a better understanding of fruit biology and physiology. In this sense, it is necessary to get better knowledge about the main changes occurring during the normal postharvest life of fruits that lead to quality deterioration: weight loss, visual appearance, softening, loss of avor and aroma, and decay. All these quality traits will
be enhanced if mechanical damage occurs along the commercialization process (from harvest to consumers).
