Strategies for Fresh-Cut Apple Preservation: Recent Advances and Future Prospects.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Agricultural Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Fresh-cut apples are popular but prone to rapid quality deterioration (browning, microbial spoilage, texture loss).
• Traditional preservation methods are often insufficient for maintaining the quality and extending the shelf life of fresh-cut apples.
• Emerging technologies like omics and AI offer potential solutions, but a systematic evaluation is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze innovative preservation strategies for fresh-cut apples.
• To explore the role of omics technologies in understanding preservation mechanisms.
• To highlight artificial intelligence (AI) applications in quality assessment and discuss future prospects.

Main Methods:

• Review of advanced physical, chemical, and biological preservation methods.
• Analysis of omics technologies for mechanistic insights.
• Evaluation of AI applications in quality assessment and intelligent packaging.
• Comparative analysis against traditional preservation techniques.

Main Results:

• Innovative methods show superior efficacy in reducing browning, controlling microbes, and preserving sensory/nutritional properties.
• Hurdle technologies provide synergistic effects for enhanced quality retention.
• AI and intelligent packaging enable real-time quality monitoring and optimized storage.

Conclusions:

• Innovative preservation strategies are more effective than conventional methods for fresh-cut apples.
• Integration of technologies like AI and omics, alongside hurdle technology, is key to superior quality retention.
• Future research should focus on scalable, eco-friendly solutions and consumer acceptance to facilitate market adoption.