Effect of nonthermal technologies on the shelf life of fruits and their products: A review on the recent trends

Abstract

Fruits and their products are significant sources of micronutrients and health-promoting compounds. Its high-water activity nature makes it suitable for the growth of various spoilage microorganisms (Salmonella, Listeria spp., Bacillus spp., etc.). This makes the processors suffer from extending the shelf life to make available in the offseason. Other than microbial spoilage, fruits can also be degraded by the processes of respiration, senescence, oxidative reactions, physical damage, starch conversion, etc. Therefore, preserving fresh fruits and their products has become the topmost priority for manufacturers and retailers. Conventional technologies like heat treatment and drying aim to prevent microorganisms' growth but compromise the nutritional composition and sensory properties. Hence, nonthermal treatments are the most promising techniques for inactivating microorganisms in fruit products and extending their shelf life while retaining the maximum nutrients in the product. This review provides information on the impact of nonthermal treatments on the shelf life of fruits and their products, the mechanism of microbial inactivation, and the impact on other quality attributes. This allows readers to choose an appropriate nonthermal technology for a particular fruit product. The process can be designed, intensifying the technique required to achieve the extended shelf life of fruit products.

Keywords

• Nonthermal techniques
• Fruit products
• Shelf life
• Microbial inactivation
• Physicochemical properties
• Sensory properties