Quality of fresh and fresh-cut produce impacted by nonthermal physical technologies intended to enhance microbial safety

Nonthermal physical intervention technologies are able to reduce populations of foodborne pathogens on/in fresh produce. As highly perishable and living organisms, fresh produce is inherently sensitive to any physical or chemical treatment in terms of quality damage. The aims of the present review are to summarize current knowledge on non-thermal technologies (ionizing radiation, UV and pulsed light, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, and cold plasma) with an emphasis on their impact on quality of fresh produce and to discuss advantages, disadvantages, and considerations for the commercialization of each technology. The impact of nonthermal physical technologies on fresh produce quality is related to pathogen inactivation mechanisms of each individual technology, and the nature and intensity of changes in quality due to the technologies depend on the treatment intensity/time and other processing conditions. Common symptoms of quality deterioration due to nonthermal processing include tissue softening, browning, and loss of nutrients. In general, there is a lack of systematic assessment, particularly sensory evaluations using taste panels of the product quality after treatments. For emerging technologies, such as cold plasma, more studies are necessary in order to assess quality changes during post-treatment storage at relevant temperatures. Quality of fresh produce must be carefully investigated to facilitate the commercialization of technologies.