Q. Explain Spoilage of Fruits and Vegetables?
Ans.
Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of daily diets of man all over the world. The spoilage of fruits and vegetables normally occurs after harvest. However, some plant pathogens cause spoilage even before harvesting. The post-harvest spoilage of hits and vegetables occur mostly during packing, transport and storage, before being processed or consumed. Unlike other food products, the hits and vegetables will be
undergoing physiological changes for quite some time even after harvesting due to the process of ripening. During the ripening process, the autolytic enzymes are active, breaking down the carbohydrates. Apart &om the enzymes, the microorganisms are also involved in causing the spoilage of the fruits and vegetables from pre-harvest to post-harvest stage. These are the fungi and bacteria. Let us get to know them.