Introduction

• An effective quality assurance (QA) system throughout the handling steps between harvest and retail display is essential to provide a consistently good-quality supply of fresh horticultural crops to the consumers and to protect the reputation of a given marketing label.
• QA starts with the selection of the genotype and its proper time to harvest for the best appearance, textural, flavor (taste and aroma), and nutritional (including phytonutrients) quality. Careful harvesting and handling are required to minimize physical injuries.
• Each postharvest handling step has the potential to either maintain or reduce quality and, in a few cases, (such as ripening of climacteric fruits) improve eating quality.