Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3000
1000
300
100
30
10
3
Fruit and Vegetable Products
Minimally Processed F&V
Dried Fruits
Pickled Vegetables
Thermally Processed F & V
Frozen F & V
Frozen/Concentrated Juices
Fresh F & V
Single Strength/Refrigerated Juices
Dehydrated Vegetables
FIGURE 10.1
Approximate shelf life of various fruit and vegetable products. (Adapted
from Floros. 2 )
they supply proteins, starch, and sugars, and are important sources of dietary fiber.
From a sensory viewpoint, fruits and vegetables are valued for their supreme flavor
and aroma, crisp texture, attractive colors, and their overall appeal to the human
senses of smell, taste, touch, and sight. 2
Fresh fruits and vegetables are living dynamic systems even after detachment
from the parent plant. As living biological entities, they respire and transpire. Res-
piration is the process of O 2 uptake and oxidation of energy-rich cellular organic
substances such as starch, sugars, and organic acids to produce CO 2 , H 2 O, and energy,
whereas transpiration is the process of water loss. Before harvest, when fruits and
vegetables are attached to the parent plant, losses due to respiration and transpiration
are replaced by water, photosynthates, and minerals. After harvest, when they are
removed from the plant, losses of respirable substrates and moisture are not replaced
 
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