Fresh produce is more susceptible to disease organisms because
of increase in the respiration rate after harvesting. So, the shelf life
under ambient conditions is very limited. The respiration of fresh
fruits and vegetables can be reduced by many preservation techniques
like low temperature, canning, dehydration, freeze-drying,
controlled atmosphere, and hypobaric and modified atmosphere.
Dehydration also controls the activity of microorganisms by the
removal of water under controlled conditions of temperature,
pressure and relative humidity. The controlled atmosphere packaging
(CAP) is used for bulk storages. In this, the composition of
gases is maintained in the package, so it requires continuous
monitoring of gases. Freeze-drying is a very important technique in
which product volume remains the same as sublimation leads to
direct removal of ice. But it is 2–5 times more expensive and slow
operation as compared to other methods. Modified atmosphere
packaging technology is largely used for minimally processed fruits
and vegetables including fresh, ‘‘ready-to-use’’ vegetables. In this
paper, published research on modified atmosphere storage specifically
on fresh fruits and vegetables is critically reviewed and
opportunities for future research are explored.