Fresh Fruit Research
Fresh citrus is one of the most popular fruits consumed worldwide. According to the University of Florida, fresh Florida grapefruit, oranges and specialty fruit generated an economic impact of approximately $1.3 billion during 2003-2004 crop year.
The goal of fresh fruit research is to develop post-harvest technologies to maintain fruit quality, increase shelf life, and reduce fruit losses during transit from groves to consumers.
Fresh fruit research is underway in the following areas:
• Post-harvest disease control
• Post-harvest handling
• Microbial monitoring of fresh citrus
• Consumer perception of new varieties