TROPICAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BIOACTIVE MOLECULES AS DETERMINANTS OF QUALITY IN RELATION TO HUMAN HEALTH

Quality of horticultural produce is a concept that can be defined in many ways. The Webster dictionary defines quality as “a distinct attribute or a characteristic possessed by something; it is a characteristic judged as distinct and superior”. For Adel Kader (2002), quality “is a combination of attributes, properties or characteristics that gives a commodity a distinct or superior value in relation to its intended use”. The traditional determinants of quality of horticultural produce are numerous and have mostly been centered on the consumers’ experience and are thus characterized in terms of organoleptic properties. The most important of these is the taste, which is determined by the cultivar but also by the growing practices or by the storage conditions. Quality of produce also means absence of damages and internal browning, firmness, no sign of senescence, a high degree of hygiene, without microbial decay, etc. Most of the post-harvest technologies are designed to preserve these qualities in the food chain. Yet, another important quality attribute is now gaining credence in the public, and is demanded more and more extensively by consumers and relates to the benefits fruits and vegetables (FAVs) can bring to health. This attribute is determined essentially by the nutritive value of the commodity in terms of minerals and vitamins content, but also and more than ever, by the content in phytochemicals with specific bioactivity against certain diseases.