Enhancement and Preservation of Quality and Health Promoting Components in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables had both an important nutrition-health and an economic value. According to the new dietary guidelines, fresh fruit and vegetables were at the fundament of the nutritional pyramid and were, within our global food package, the best carriers of bio-active substances such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fibres, phenolic antioxidants, glucosinolates and other bioactive components.The main objective of this Action was to enhance and preserve fruit quality, safety and the amount of nutritional and functional components in fresh fruits and vegetables in an integrated approach from orchard to consumer with special attention to organic growing.