**1. Introduction**

India ranks second in fruit production after China with production of 98,579 ('000MT) under 6648 ('000Ha) production area (NHB, 2018–2019). There is marginal rise of India's horticulture produce in 2019–2020. According to the estimation of ministry of Agriculture and farmer's welfare, total horticulture production in the country stood 310.74 million Tonnes in 2018–2019. This is marginal higher than the production in 2017–2018. 97.97 million Tonnes of fruit production are estimated compared to 96.45 million Tonnes in 2017–2018. A major contribution to total fruits production of India is contributed by Punjab with 94.80 ('000MT) under production area of 2001.69 ('000Ha). Presently Kinnow, Guava, Mango, Pear, Sweet Orange, Litchi, Peach and Ber are major fruits; while Limes/Lemons, Amla, Grapes, Plum, Banana, Pomegranate, Phalsa, Sapota, Papaya etc. are the minor fruits grown in the

Punjab region. Fruits are a great source of nutrients, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and energy and its consumption is linked to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and flabbiness. Fruits also are the rich source of phytochemicals and other phenolic compounds that function as anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidants and phytoestrogen [1]. Intake of vegetables and fruits has been increased as today's society is becoming more concerned about health and role of raw fruits and vegetables for improving and maintaining consumer and human health. Increasing demand of nutritious and healthy products, fresh produce is always at the priority of the consumer list because of natural nutritious quality, flavors and freshness. The International Fresh-cut produce association (IFPA) defines as fruits and vegetables that have been trimmed and/or peeled and/or cut into 100% useable product that is bagged pre-packaged to offer consumers high nutrition, convenience and flavor while still maintaining its freshness. The fresh-cut vegetables and fruits are in great demand among the consumers as these are ready-to-eat, fresh and nutritious. Today, people are replacing unhealthy junk food with fresh cut vegetables and fruits. The increasing trend in fresh cut produce tends to increase the investment in research and development to address various issues regarding the product supply, refrigeration, packaging technology and processing equipment. Fresh cut produce is gaining popularity among the consumers which lead to the availability at the retail level also. This results in the expansion of industries favoring production of fresh cut fruits which accelerates the quick services at restaurants and in retail shops. There are many produce of fresh vegetable and fruits in the market like fresh cut salads, fruits and vegetables in the market. Many industries are committed in developing the products so as to continue delivering the reliable product in the market. Fresh cut vegetable salad dominate among the minimally processed fresh cut produce but as the popularity of fresh cut fruits among the baby boomers and young generation of the society will probably overtake the sale of fresh cut salad in coming years. There are certain cons related to the productionof fresh cut produces. The process of damage can be defined in two major patterns which directly or indirectly influence each other in their production. Physiological spoilage is caused due to metabolic and enzymatic activity of the plant tissue and microbial spoilage is caused due to proliferation of microorganisms. Cutting and peeling of fresh raw fruit causes physical damage to the fruit and them more perishable than the intact fruit [2]. The quality factor of fresh cut vegetables and fruit product is analyzed by the consumer is the combination of properties or characteristics that decide their value to the consumer. It is often assumed the "if it looks good, it tastes good." Quality of fresh cut fruits is usually determined by the various properties which include nutritive value, flavor, appearance and texture. On accessing the product quality consumer assess product appearance and probably the color of the product [3]. Quality of fresh intact fruits depends upon the cultivator, pre harvest and harvesting methods, handling methods while when the factor of "fresh-cut" fruits come into play it renders the shelf life of the produce because of highly perishable nature. Fresh cut salads are gaining popularity in the market as various negative effects are addressed during processing while on the other hand fresh cut fruits do not show exceptional growth due to its biochemical and physiological phenomena which accelerates the perishable nature of the fruits and vegetables. Major factor that affects the quality of the fresh cut methods of preparation which includes types of tools used, surface area and size of the cut slices, type of water used for washing and handling as well as storage conditions which includes humidity, packaging, maintaining optimum temperature and sanitation conditions.

### *Fresh Cut Fruits and Vegetables Disinfection Pretreatment: A Novel Approach to Extend Fresh… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107525*

Proper washing/cleaning of fresh-cut product right after cutting is the most important step in fresh cut production to reduce the pathogenic micro flora from the commodities [4]. Food safety guidelines (FDA) for the fresh-cut product industry usually stipulate a washing or sanitizing step to eradicate pesticide residue, dirt and microorganisms responsible for decay and quality loss. The effectiveness of the washing pretreatment depends upon the quality of the water, pH, temperature of the operation, type and concentration of the disinfectant and contact time with the commodity. The product should rinse and washed with the water visually free from dirt, dust and other debris [5]. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guide to reduce the microbial count on fresh-cut vegetables and fruits to safety level point out that water quality is the very important step on fresh cut processing (FDA/CFSAN 2008). It is also considered that using sanitized water for washing purpose reduces the initial microbial load on the fresh cut produce is accountable to extend the shelf life of the produce [6]. So, there is a need to give main focus on the disinfectant washing to decrease microbial count on raw vegetables and fruits, being an economic technique to enhance the fresh cut's shelf life. Additionally, use of chemical disinfectants along with cold refrigeration storage is an effective way to extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut fruits up to a reasonable level. Further, there is a need to test for various disinfectants to evaluate their efficacy in reducing microbial load over the fresh cut fruits and the best packaging material to be discovered to enhance the shelf life and quality of fresh-cut fruits. Being the most economic and easy method to conduct, disinfectant pretreatment washing of the cut fruits with an optimum disinfectant following an optimized process conditions provides the farmers to opt for the new technology to establish the Fresh cut market in Punjab. This book chapter reviews the various techniques to disinfect the fresh cut fruits and vegetables with novelty lies in the process parameter optimization including type of disinfectant, concentration of disinfectant, pH and dipping time for disinfection will help the fresh cut industries to opt for the process technology to enhance the shelf life of the fresh cut fruits and vegetables.
