Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing

Fruits are botanically diverse, perishable, seasonal andpredominantly regional in production. They come in many varieties,shapes and size, colors, flavors and textures and are an importantpart of a healthy diet and the global economy. Besides vitamins,minerals, fibers and other nutrients, fruits contain phenoliccompounds that have pharmacological potential. Consumed as a partof a regular diet, these naturally occurring plant constituents arebelieved to provide a wide range of physiological benefits throughtheir antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-carcinogenic, andanti-inflammatory properties.
Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing distils thelatest developments and research efforts in this field that areaimed at improving production methods, post-harvest storage andprocessing, safety, quality and developing new processes andproducts. This revised and updated second edition expands andimproves upon the coverage of the original book. Some highlightsinclude chapters on the physiology and classification of fruits,horticultural biochemistry, microbiology and food safety (includingHACCP, safety and the regulation of fruits in the global market),sensory and flavor characteristics, nutrition, naturally presentbioactive phenolics, postharvest physiology, storage,transportation and packaging, processing and preservationtechnologies. Information on the major fruits includes tropical andsuper fruits, frozen fruits, canned fruit, jelly, jam andpreserves, fruit juices, dried fruits and wines. The 35 chaptersare organized into five parts:
* Part I: Fruit physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, nutritionand health
* Part II: Postharvest handling and preservation offruits
* Part III: Product manufacturing and packaging
* Part IV: Processing plant, waste management, safety andregulations
* Part V: Production, quality and processing aspects ofmajor fruits and fruit products
Each chapter has been contributed by professionals from aroundthe globe representing academia, government institutions andindustry. The book is designed to be a valuable source andreference book for scientists, product developers, students and allprofessionals with an interest in this field.