Pulsed Light for Fresh Quality Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables

In accordance with the green concept, non-thermal physical technologies produce less residue and are safer than other chemical methods. Pulsed light (PL) is among several major emerging non-thermal approaches as alternatives to traditional food processing and preservation methods. Using PL technology, fresh fruits and vegetables can be disinfected, preserved, or improved in sensory properties and nutritional value with minimal deterioration incidence. Recent studies mainly concentrated on the impacts of PL on microbial safety (natural and inoculated microorganisms) of both fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables but not limited to nutritional (ascorbic acid and antioxidant systems) and physical parameters (color, texture, and weight). However, PL effectiveness can be increased significantly by optimizing equipment factors, including flash number, applied voltage, distance between the lamps and samples, spectral ranges of the flashes of light, treatment duration, sample matrix, and microbial strains and their contamination level. Overall, this chapter addresses recent literature findings related to the efficiency of PL treatments for maintaining and improving the microbiological safety and nutritional aspects of fresh horticultural produce under storage after harvest.