Power ultrasound for the preservation of postharvest fruits and vegetables

Increasing public demands for improved safety and quality of fruits and vegetables in the fresh market, awaken a growing interest for novel technologies for the preservation of postharvest fruits and vegetables before storage. Ultrasound technology provides one of the methods that with better treating time, enhanced products quality, reduced chemical hazards, low consumption of energy, and is environmentally friendly. This review provides an up-to-date summary of published findings on the application of ultrasound in the preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables. The ultrasound devices commonly utilized, effects of power ultrasound treatment as a factor that affects decay incidence, safety and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables are included. Application challenges and research trends in the future are also analyzed. It is concluded that much progress has been achieved in this field during recent years. These achievements paved the way for the industrial-scale application of ultrasound in the preservation of postharvest fruits and vegetables.