Course Objectives:

ü To provide a basic understanding of the biochemistry of fruits and vegetables.

ü To acquaint the students with the basic steps involved in commercially processing typical fruits and vegetables.

ü To give insight into how quality is changed during processing and how to control them.

ü To give the students hands-on experience in processing fruits and vegetables.

Course Contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction                     

v Introduce what is horticulture products

v Main objectives and significance of processing fruits and vegetables.  

Chapter 2: Fruit and vegetable composition and post-harvest maintenance of quality                        

v Introduce the main composition of fruits and vegetables and they changes in processing.

v Proper ways to choose high quality raw material and factors which will affect the deterioration

Chapter 3: Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables          

v The properties of fresh-cuts and the processing method, especially the critical operations which influence the eating quality and nutritional value. Quality control in every step is important and HACCP is used as an example here.

Chapter 4: Thermal processing of fruits and vegetables

v The principles and processing methods of canned food, especially the different methods in unit operation, such as blanching,  exhausting. Another emphasis is the quality control of canned food.

Chapter 5: Juice Processing

v The types of juice

v The properties and specific processing methods of two main types of juice.

v Introduce the common problems happened in juice and ways to control or prevent them.

Chapter 6: Drying of fruits and vegetables           

v What’s dehydration?

v The advantages of dried foods

v The composition changes happened in dehydration and ways to control them

v The properties of different drying system

v The quality control of dried foods.

Chapter 7: Fruit preserves and jams

v The properties of different preserves

v The principle and methods of processing preserves.

v The common problems happened in processing and products.

Chapter 8: Fermented Vegetables

v The fermentation process

v Fermentation biochemistry; several typical fermented vegetables are showed here to illustrated the main process and management.

Chapter 9: Quick-frozen fruits and vegetables       

v The principle of quick-frozen; the pre-handling steps for fruits and vegetables before quick-frozen;

v The management of quick-frozen foods; the quick-frozen methods and machines.

Credits: 3