Several significant foodborne outbreaks have been associated with the consumption of ready-to-eat, fresh, or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, and the numbers of reported cases have shown a constant rise during the past two decades. It is well established that postharvest physiological modifications and the potential bacterial contaminations occurring during preharvest and postharvest handling, as well as the additional production steps (e.g., peeling, cutting, slicing, or shredding), cause rapid deterioration and spoilage of fruits and vegetables. Despite the indisputable health benefits and convenience, quality preservation, shelf-life extension, and microbial safety assurance of such perishable foods are essentially important. In response to this recommendation, several programs relevant to food and health (for example, five-a-day) have been carried out in order to encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables during the 1990s and later on. The World Health Organization suggested a 400 g daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. The objective of the article is to provide a systematic review of the preservative effect of the available hurdles implemented during processing and packaging of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, focusing on recent applications aiming at improving product quality and prolonging their limited shelf life.įruits and vegetables play a significant role in healthy human nutrition and possess a high ranking on the list of consumer priorities. The use of alternative “soft hurdles” may result in a decrease in the rate of food deterioration and spoilage attributed to microbial activity or other physiological/chemical degradation reactions. The food production sector should balance this requirement with the necessity to provide safe food with extended shelf life while meeting consumer demands for novel, nutritious, and affordable food products. New product development and the diversification of plant-based foods have supported this growth. This trend has forced increased sales of minimally processed and/or pre-packed fruit- and vegetable-based products. Recently, consumers’ demand for fresh, nutritious, and convenient food has shown a significant rise.

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