Definition of fruit and vegetable quality – a retrospective

S. Huyskens-Keil, M. Schreiner, Berlin/Erfurt

This paper presents an overview of the drastic changes in the understanding of fruit and vegetable quality during recent years, resulting from national and international changes in agricultural politics, growing competition, overproduction of many agricultural produce and increasing environmental, nutritional and health concerns.

Starting from a definition of quality according to certain quality aspects various attempts have been made to define quality more comprehensively in terms of quality indices, quality models or quality management systems, reflecting the changing view from product-oriented quality over process-oriented quality to consumer-oriented quality. New legal regulations (e.g. on residues, HACCP) and most recent trends (e.g. functional food, genetically engineered food) need to be considered. Hence, quality is not a fixed term, but a time-, product- and consumer dependent value. This new and comprehensive understanding of quality will help to face increasing and changing consumer expectations and to improve competitiveness in the European and world markets.

Keywords: Quality / fruits / vegetables / definition

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 07/03 ab Seite 257.