Impact of Innovative Technologies on the Content of Vitamin C and Its Bioavailability from Processed Fruit and Vegetable Products

Nowadays, thermal treatments are used for extending the shelf-life of vegetable and fruit products by inactivating microorganisms and enzymes. On the other hand, heat treatments often induce undesirable changes in the quality of the final product, e.g., losses of nutrients, color alterations, changes in flavor, and smell. Therefore, the food industry is opening up to new technologies that are less aggressive than thermal treatment to avoid the negative effects of thermal pasteurization. Non-thermal processing technologies have been developed during the last decades as an alternative to thermal food preservation. Processing changes the structure of fruit and vegetables, and hence the bioavailability of the nutrients contained in them. In this review, special attention has been devoted to the effects of modern technologies of fruit and vegetable processing, such as minimal processing (MPFV), high-pressure processing (HPP), high-pressure homogenization (HPH), ultrasounds (US), pulsed electric fields (PEF), on the stability and bioavailability of vitamin C.

Automated summary

Thermal treatments are commonly used to extend the shelf-life of vegetable and fruit products by inactivating microorganisms and enzymes, but they can also lead to negative changes in the product quality. In response, the food industry is exploring non-thermal processing technologies as alternatives. These technologies, such as minimal processing, high-pressure processing, high-pressure homogenization, ultrasounds, and pulsed electric fields, offer gentler alternatives to thermal treatments.