Postharvest losses of whole and fresh‐cut fruits and vegetables cause significant reductions in food availability and an increase in economic losses/damages. Additionally, regulatory agencies are increasingly restricting the postharvest use of synthetic chemicals. This has strengthened the need to develop environmentally friendly approaches to postharvest management, such as utilization of natural compounds, antagonist microorganisms, and treatments with abiotic stresses, among others. The current review focuses on the potential of low doses of abiotic stresses to extend the shelf life, increase the amount of health beneficial phytochemicals, and reduce postharvest losses of fresh produce. The positive effects of the responses to low doses of abiotic stresses are based on a biological phenomenon termed hormesis. Research to develop new technologies to improve postharvest handling of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as minimally processed products is critical. The phenomenon of abiotic stress hormesis in fresh fruit and vegetables shows the potential not only to enhance defense compounds that could reduce diseases during postharvest storage and extend shelf life but also to elevate the content of health‐promoting substances. The beneficial effects of UV‐C hormesis have been extensively investigated in numerous types of fresh produce. However, our knowledge on hormesis exhibited by other abiotic stresses is still limited. Hence, the objective of this review is to discuss the relevance of hormesis for postharvest research by examining whether all abiotic stresses exhibit the phenomenon, its biological significance, the potential application in various commodities, and how it may direct the future of postharvest research.

Plants are a reservoir of phytochemicals, which are known to possess several beneficial health properties. Along with all the secondary metabolites, polyphenols have emerged as potential replacements for synthetic additives due to their lower toxicity and fewer side effects. However, controlling microbial growth using these preservatives requires very high doses of plant-derived compounds, which limits their use to only specific conditions. Their use at high concentrations leads to unavoidable changes in the organoleptic properties of foods. Therefore, the biochemical modification of natural preservatives can be a promising alternative to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of plant-derived compounds/polyphenols. Amongst these modifications, low concentration of ascorbic acid (AA)–Cu (II), degradation products of ascorbic acid (DPAA), Maillard reaction products (MRPs), laccase–mediator (Lac–Med) and horse radish peroxidase (HRP)–H₂O₂ systems standout. This review reveals the importance of plant polyphenols, their role as antimicrobial agents, the mechanism of the biochemical methods and the ways these methods may be used in enhancing the antimicrobial potency of the plant polyphenols. Ultimately, this study may act as a base for the development of potent antimicrobial agents that may find their use in food applications.

Food loss and waste occur throughout the food supply chain and represent food security and environmental, economic, and societal problems. Fresh fruit and vegetables contribute to over 40% of global food loss and waste. A significant portion of fruit and vegetables loss takes place on the farm during postharvest handling in developing countries, which is linked to smallholders’ financial and geographic constraints in purchasing modern postharvest handling technologies. While in developed countries, waste is the main problem identified at the retail and consumption levels because of inadequate logistics management, storage, and consumer behavior. The loss and waste deprive the population of a significant quantity of healthy food. To address this challenge, cost-effective, easy-to-use, and affordable approaches could be supplied to stakeholders. These strategies encompass the utilization of shading, low-cost packaging, porous evaporative cooling, zero-energy cooling chambers, and pot-in-pot coolers, for reductions in loss in developing countries. Meanwhile, in developed countries, biosensors, 1-methylcyclopropene, and imaging processing are employed to assess the quality of fresh fruit and vegetables at both retail and consumer levels. By exploring these methods, the review aims to provide smallholders, retailers, and consumers with efficient methods for improving produce operating techniques, resulting in reduced losses and waste and higher income.