New Approaches for Improving the Quality of Processed Fruits and Vegetables and Their By-Products

Miller, Fátima A.; Brandão, Teresa R. S.; Silva, Cristina L. M.

doi:10.3390/foods12071353

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…It is widely recognized that fruits and vegetables play an essential role in maintaining a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables serve as vital sources of nutrients an provide extensive health benefits [4,7,14,16,[26][27][28]. Insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables is estimated to contribute to 14% of worldwide gastrointestinal cancer deaths, 11% of deaths attributable to ischemic heart disease, and 9% of deaths caused by stroke [29].…”

Section: Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contamination of vegetables can occur at various stages: in the pre-harvest phase while the plant is in the field, during harvesting, and in the post-harvest phase, encompassing transport, processing, or packaging [28,45,46,51,57]. The different stages of salad processing involve several steps, as observed in Figure 1: Typically, initial contamination in the plant reflects its environmental microbiota [51,56].…”

Section: Main Sources Of Microbiological Contamination Throughout The...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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One Health Perspectives on Food Safety in Minimally Processed Vegetables and Fruits: From Farm to Fork

Santos,

Grácio,

Silva

et al. 2023

Microorganisms

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While food markets and food production chains are experiencing exponential growth, global attention to food safety is steadily increasing. This is particularly crucial for ready-to-eat products such as fresh-cut salads and fruits, as these items are consumed raw without prior heat treatment, making the presence of pathogenic microorganisms quite frequent. Moreover, many studies on foodborne illnesses associated with these foods often overlook the transmission links from the initial contamination source. The prevention and control of the dissemination of foodborne pathogens should be approached holistically, involving agricultural production, processing, transport, food production, and extending to final consumption, all while adopting a One Health perspective. In this context, our objective is to compile available information on the challenges related to microbiological contamination in minimally handled fruits and vegetables. This includes major reported outbreaks, specific bacterial strains, and associated statistics throughout the production chain. We address the sources of contamination at each stage, along with issues related to food manipulation and disinfection. Additionally, we provide potential solutions to promote a healthier approach to fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. This information will be valuable for both researchers and food producers, particularly those focused on ensuring food safety and quality.

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Section: Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Main Sources Of Microbiological Contamination Throughout The...mentioning

confidence: 99%

One Health Perspectives on Food Safety in Minimally Processed Vegetables and Fruits: From Farm to Fork

Santos,

Grácio,

Silva

et al. 2023

Microorganisms

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“…Preparing the raw material before pretreatment is intended to minimize unfavorable changes occurring during the actual processes. Moreover, by manipulating the process parameters themselves, it is possible to increase the efficiency of the process and obtain a product attractive to a potential consumer [7][8][9]. In addition, pretreatment reduces the level of hazardous chemicals accumulated in raw materials, resulting from excessive soil fertilization and environmental pollution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chosen Biochemical and Physical Properties of Beetroot Treated with Ultrasound and Dried with Infrared–Hot Air Method

Nowacka,

Rybak,

Trusinska

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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Beetroots are sources of bioactive compounds and valued pigments such as betalains. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of ultrasound pretreatment on the beetroot infrared–hot air drying process and the functional properties of the obtained product. In this study, there were two used frequencies—21 and 35 kHz—and three different periods of time—10, 20, and 30 min. Since beetroots are usually subjected to thermal treatment, another aim was to examine the influence of blanching and soaking on the beetroot tissue properties in order to compare traditional and ultrasound-treated methods. As a result of this study, it was found that ultrasound pretreatment changed the dry matter content, water activity, thickness of the tissue, total color difference, and contents of betanin pigments in the beetroot. It was revealed that the drying process is shorter after ultrasound pretreatment using a 21 kHz frequency. Drying tissue exposed to ultrasounds showed a significant increase in the L* parameter; however, the decrease in the a* parameter was caused by a reduced content of betalain pigments. Taking into consideration parameters important from a technological point of view, it was found that the best condition for beetroot pretreatment is 20 min treatment, regardless of the frequency used.

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“…In investigations of foodborne outbreaks caused via vegetables and fruits, the focus is usually only on the final stage of the vegetable and fruit production chain (Santos et al, 2023). However, it is important to recognize that contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables can occur at various stages, including the pre-harvest phase in the field, during harvesting, and in the post-harvest phase involving transportation, processing, or packaging (Balali et al, 2020;Miller et al, 2023;Santos et al, 2023). Researches have indicated that factors such as the potential of hydrogen, water activity, nutrients, oxidation-reduction potential, irrigation water, climatic conditions, processing treatments, and transportation processes can all influence the level of Salmonella contamination in fresh fruits and vegetables (Thomas et al, 2024;Wadamori et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence, serotype, antimicrobial susceptibility, contamination factors, and control methods of Salmonella spp. in retail fresh fruits and vegetables: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Ma,

Dai,

Cao

et al. 2024

Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safe

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This research presents a comprehensive review of Salmonella presence in retail fresh fruits and vegetables from 2010 to 2023, utilizing data from recognized sources such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The study incorporates a meta‐analysis of prevalence, serovar distribution, antimicrobial susceptibility, and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Additionally, it scrutinizes the heterogeneous sources across various food categories and geographical regions The findings show a pooled prevalence of 2.90% (95% CI: 0.0180−0.0430), with an increase from 4.63% in 2010 to 5.32% in 2022. Dominant serovars include S. Typhimurium (29.14%, 95% CI: 0.0202−0.6571) and S. Enteritidis (21.06%, 95% CI: 0.0181−0.4872). High resistance rates were noted for antimicrobials like erythromycin (60.70%, 95% CI: 0.0000−1.0000) and amoxicillin (39.92%, 95% CI: 0.0589−0.8020). The most prevalent ARGs were blaTEM (80.23%, 95% CI: 0.5736−0.9692) and parC mutation (66.67%, 95% CI: 0.3213−0.9429). Factors such as pH, water activity, and nutrient content, along with external factors like the quality of irrigation water and prevailing climatic conditions, have significant implications on Salmonella contamination. Nonthermal sterilization technologies, encompassing chlorine dioxide, ozone, and ultraviolet light, are emphasized as efficacious measures to control Salmonella. This review stresses the imperative need to bolster prevention strategies and control measures against Salmonella in retail fresh fruits and vegetables to alleviate related food safety risks.

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New Approaches for Improving the Quality of Processed Fruits and Vegetables and Their By-Products

Abstract: The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda calls for all social actors to contribute to significant societal and environmental issues [...]

Cited by 4 publications

References 16 publications

One Health Perspectives on Food Safety in Minimally Processed Vegetables and Fruits: From Farm to Fork

One Health Perspectives on Food Safety in Minimally Processed Vegetables and Fruits: From Farm to Fork

Chosen Biochemical and Physical Properties of Beetroot Treated with Ultrasound and Dried with Infrared–Hot Air Method

Prevalence, serotype, antimicrobial susceptibility, contamination factors, and control methods of Salmonella spp. in retail fresh fruits and vegetables: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

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