Quality of fresh-cut produce

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are highly perishable due to damaged and exposed tissues and lack of protective skin. Disorders arising from processing can be minimized by the use of sharp cutting tools, enzymatic browning inhibitors, modified atmospheres and low temperatures. High quality can be maintained by selecting produce at proper maturity and controlling deterioration with low temperatures and modified atmospheres. By recognizing and controlling factors that have a deteriorative effect on quality, good quality fresh-cut product with sufficient shelf-life can be attained. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.