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Quality and Potential Healthy Traits in Vegetables and Berries

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Food Quality, Safety and Technology

Abstract

In recent years, the sensitivity of consumers and producers towards the environment and health topics has increased significantly, and these issues are involving more and more the agricultural world. Much has been done in terms of cropping systems and technology, but the issues relating to the quality and nutritional value of products turn out to be more complex and sensitive. In this regard, the consumer is more aware of these issues thanks to the many suggestions offered daily both in the health and in a healthy diet.

In this sense, this chapter aims to provide a current status of the concept of quality in the context of vegetable products and highlight its importance especially in order to promote vegetables by improving the final consumer diet. In this regard, the indicative pattern of the chapter could include three main sections. The first concerns about the identification and exploration of the quality concept and its evolution over time with respect to all aspects that contribute to its perception by the consumer. Moreover the technical-agronomic factors and environmental factors that determine the product quality associated with pre-harvest until the ripening stage will be considered. Finally, in the last section of this chapter, we will refer to the quality maintenance in post-harvest considering the evolution of multiple physiological aspects (antioxidants, phenols, vitamins, macro- and micronutrients, etc.) to the hypothetical purchase of the product by the consumer. During all the steps described so far, in which quality is involved, we will consider the potential health traits and benefits relevant to the health of the consumer trying to provide a clear and complete view in this research field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animal and Environment, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Paolo Sambo & Carlo Nicoletto

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  1. Paolo Sambo
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  2. Carlo Nicoletto
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Correspondence to Paolo Sambo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State Univeristy (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

    Giuseppina P. P. Lima

  2. Department of Chemical Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Fabio Vianello

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Sambo, P., Nicoletto, C. (2013). Quality and Potential Healthy Traits in Vegetables and Berries. In: Lima, G., Vianello, F. (eds) Food Quality, Safety and Technology. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1640-1_2

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