Postharvest quality and composition of organically and conventionally produced fruits: A review

The rapidly growing organic food market has prompted many researchers to compare numerous aspects of organically and conventionally grown foods. This review of literature provides an overview of empirical studies comparing postharvest quality of organically and conventionally produced fruits. The emphasis is on key postharvest quality parameters including physicochemical properties, postharvest storage performance, microbiological, sensory and nutritional quality. The study showed that physicochemical and nutritional properties relating to the contents of vitamins, phenolics and antioxidants are higher in organically produced fruits. It is also showed that production system has little effect on sensory quality. The better taste of organic produce as perceived by consumers is only due to the 'halo effect' of the organic label. The differences identified could be largely attributed to the different fertilization systems between organically and conventionally managed soils. The microbial contamination due to improper use of manure and compost in organically managed soils is a major concern in organic fruits. High levels of pesticide residues and nitrates in conventionally grown fruits is also a cause of concern. Several important problems in organic fruits are yet to be addressed, bacterial and fungal contamination of organic fruits warrants more intensive research. Future research should also investigate the effect of production system on storage potential. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.