Bioactive Compounds in fresh-cut fruits: occurrence and impact of processing and cold storage

PIROVANI, MARIA ÉLIDA; PIAGENTINI, ANDREA; VAN DE VELDE, FRANCO

Biotechnology of Bioactive Compounds: Sources and Applications

Wiley

Año: 2015; p. 37 - 62

The consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables has been associated with a better diabetes and obesity control and lower risk of chronic diseases. This protection is attributed to bioactive compounds, as phenolics, carotenoides, and vitamins. Although the health promoting effects of them are generally accepted, the average intake is still below the recommendations. In the last years, there has been an increasing demand for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables as a consequence of their convenience and freshness. The fresh-cut processing involves the use of a combination of procedures, such as selection, pre-washing, peeling, cutting, washing-disinfection and packaging. Bioactive compounds can be affected by this processing, and the healthy potential of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables could be different to the non-processed products. The objective of this chapter is to discuss highlighted topics related to selection of raw material and adequate processing conditions of fresh-cut fruits, focusing on its consequences over the changes of the bioactive compounds content and their antioxidant capacity. The selection of fruit cultivars has a subsequent direct impact on the quality of the fresh-cut product and moreover on the healthy potential that offers the product. Several operations (cutting, washing-disinfection chemical treatment and storage) are discussed and the principal findings are summarized. The advantage or disadvantage of application to the product of some abiotic stresses, such as wounding of tissues or altered gas composition, is also demonstrated. Nevertheless, more research on the whole impact of processing and storage on bioactive compounds in fresh-cut fruits is still needed.