QUALITY OF FRUIT PRODUCTS

The course will cover the principal notions on the valorization of fruit crops coltivated in the mediterranean, continental and subtropical areas. The principal metabolimic, organoleptic and qualitative changes occurring during ripening will be analysed toward an optimal management of the supply and storage of fruits.

The course is composed by a general part in which the concept of fruit quality and how this could be affected by the harvest and post-harvest techniques will be dissected and by a special part in which either the peculiarities in terms of post-harvest menagement of the most important fruit crops and the most important national and sicilian DOP will be discussed

The course consists in 28 hours of lectures and 28 hours of practical activities (focus on specific topics related to the object of the course and/or technical visit). Lessons could be held through videoconference if needed. If teaching will be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus. Similarly, exames might also be carried out on line.

1 Objectives of the course

2 Fruit quality

3 Sensorialy aspectes related to fruit quality

4 Destructive evaluation methods for fruit quality

5 Food security

6 Nutrtional quality

7 Influence of pre-harvest techniques in the fruit quality

8 Ripening and senescence processes

9 Ripening indexes

10 The role of ethylene in the post-harvest physiology of fruits

11 The role of temperatures and relative umidity during post-harvest

12 Cold storage

13 Fruit transport and logistic menagement

14 The use of food waste

15 LCA analysis of the main foodchains

16 Regulamentation, certification and labeling of fruits

17 Apple

18 Pear

19 Stone fruits

20 Table grae

21 Citrus

22 Strawberry

23 Tropical and sub-tropical fruits

24 National and international DOP

1 Gestione della qualità e conservazione dei prodotti ortofrutticoli, by G. Colelli e P. Inglese. Edagricole 2020

2 Fruit Quality and its Biological Basis, by M. Knee, Blackwell edition