In order to meet today's health conscious consumers’ demand for more fresh, natural, and convenient foods, concerted effort has been made to develop new methods for minimally processed and modified atmosphere packaged fruit and vegetable products. Physiological functions of various fruits and vegetables and their susceptibility to minimal processing, and effects of various antibrowning agents and modified packaging conditions are being studied. These include cultivar selections, effects of maturity and storage, relative respiration rates, heat-shock treatments, effects of various chemicals, packaging materials, atmosphere conditions and storage conditions. Understanding the basic chemistry of enzymatic browning for each commodity is prerequisite for this study. Enzymatic browning of various cultivars of apples, grapes, and peaches has been well studied. Fresh and sliced apples and potatoes packaged under the modified atmosphere packaging that have a shelf-life of three weeks were developed recently and commercial products are being produced.

The followings are selected recent publications related to minimal processing produced from this laboratory.

Barrett, D. M., C. Y. Lee, and F. W. Liu. Effects of elevated CO2 on total phenolics, polyphenoloxidase, browning and membrane integrity in stored red delicious apples. IFT Annual Meeting, Abstract # 202. New Orleans. 1988.

De Lagarde, C., J. Hotchkiss, D. L. Downing, I. H. Kim, and C. Y. Lee. Studies on the shelf life and quality of vacuum packaged apple slices. American Chemical Society National Meeting, Atlanta, GA. Ag & Food Chem. Division Abstract # 23. April, 1991.

Kim, D. M. and C. Y. Lee. Enhancing shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. Cornell Focus. vol 1(2&3):13-17. 1992.

Kim, D., N. L. Smith and C. Y. Lee. Apple cultivar variations in response to heat treatment and minimal processing. Journal of Food Science 58(5):1111-1114 & 1124. 1993.

Kim, D., N. L. Smith and C. Y. Lee. Quality of minimally processed apple slices from selected cultivars. Journal of Food Science 58(5):1115-1117 & 1175. 1993.

Lee, C. Y., N. L. Smith, D. E. Kim and C. De Lagarde. Quality enhancement of minimally processed apple slices and fresh apples by anti-browning agents and heat shock treatment. Sixth International Controlled Atmosphere Research Conference. Abstract # 96. Ithaca, NY. 1993.

Kim, D. M., N. L. Smith and C. Y. Lee. Heat treatment of apples and its effects on quality of apple slices. Institute Food Technologists Annual Meeting, Abstract #780. Chicago, IL. 1993.

Lee, C. Y., N. L. Smith, D. M. Kim, C. De Lagarde, P. Yang, I. H. Kim, J. H. Hotchkiss and D. L. Downing. Quality enhancement of minimally processed apple slices and fresh apples by browning inhibitors and heat shock treatment. Proceedings of the 6th International Controlled Atmosphere Research Conference. Ithaca, NY. Vol. 1, p 193-200. 1993.

Kim, D. M., N. L. Smith and C. Y. Lee. Effect of heat treatment on firmness of apples and apple slices. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 18(1):1-8, 1994.

Lee, C. Y. Cultivar variations and heat shock treatment of New York apples for minimal processing. New York Fruit Quarterly 2:6-8, 1994.

Lee, C. Y., Smith, N. L., Splittstoesser, D. L. and Downing, D. L. Effects of various treatments on shelf life of minimally processed carrot sticks. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, Abstract 78-10, Atlanta, 1994.

Kim, D. M., K. H. Kim, N. L. Smith and C. Y. Lee. Changes in flesh color and PPO activity by apple cultivars. Food and Biotechnology (Korea) 4:222-225, 1995.

Lee, C. Y. and N. L. Smith. Minimal processing of New York apples. New York's Food and Life Sciences Bulletin No. 145. Cornell University. 1995.

Gunes, G. and Lee, C. Y. Effect of modified atmosphere on respiration rate and color change of minimally processed potatoes. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meetings, Abstract 14B-4. New Orleans, LA. p.202. 1996.

Jeon, B. S. and Lee, C. Y. Modified atmosphere packaging and controlled atmosphere storage of fresh ginseng. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting Abstract # 69A-5, p 193, 1997.

Gunes, G. and C. Y. Lee. Color of minimally processed potatoes as affected by modified atmosphere packaging and antibrowning agents. Journal of Food Science 62:575-575 & 582. 1997.

Gunes, G. D. F. Splittstoesser, and C. Y. Lee. Microbial quality of fresh potatoes: effect of minimal processing. Journal of Food Protection 60:863-866, 1997.

Jeon, B. S. and Lee, C. Y. Shelf-life extension of American ginseng by controlled atmosphere and modified atmosphere packaging. Journal of Food Science 64(2):328-331, 1999.

Moon, K. D., Son, S. and Lee, C. Y. Inhibitory effects of various antibrowning agents on apple slices. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, Chicago. Technical Program Abstract # 79D-45, p 227, 1999.

Son, S., Moon, K. D. and Lee, C. Y. Antibrowning capacity of oxalic acid and its application in apple processing. Abstracts #P26/54. 10^th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, Sydney, Australia. 3-8 October 1999.

Son, S. M., and Lee, C. Y. Influence of rhubarb juice treatment on quality of fresh-cut apple slices in modified atmosphere package. 11^th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea. April 22-27, 2001. Abstract P03-53, p 136.

Hwang, T. Y., Son, S. M., Lee, C. Y., and Moon, K. D. The relationship among flesh browning, polyphenol oxidase activity, and total phenolic contents in minimally processed potato. IFT Annual Meeting, June 23-27, 2001. Paper number 88E-1.

Hwang, T. Y., Son, S. M., Lee, C. Y., Moon, K. D. Quality changes of fresh-cut packaged Fuji apples during storage. Korean Journal of Food Science & Technology. 33(4): 469-473, 2001.

Lee, J. Y., Park, H. J., Lee, C. Y., and Choi, W. Y. Extending shelf-life of minimally processed apples with edible coatings and antibrowning agents. Lebensm.-Wiss. U.-Technol. 36:323-329, 2003.

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