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Abstract

Fruits are valuable vegetable products rich in bioactive compounds (vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants) with a described positive impact in human health. Due to environmental exposure and fruits soil contact, microbial contamination could be high and difficult to be removed from the fresh raw material. Nowadays, the offer of fruits and derivative products arriving at the market is really versatile and extended (fresh fruits, juices, smoothies, jellies, canned fruits). However, one of the main concerning points regarding the commercialization of these fresh matrices is the retention of nutritional factors intact after the required treatments to ensure microbial load reduction. Novel nonthermal technologies are presented as promising preservation processes to be respectful with food quality, being at the same time effective in the guarantee of food safety. The present chapter overviews the effect of some nonthermal treatments and technologies applied in the decontamination of fruits, being currently research about these processes covering different stages of development and industrial implementation. Future trends are discussed regarding the comparative effectiveness of conventional and novel decontamination processes and the medium-short term applicability of novel technologies at the agri-food industry.

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