Fruit & Vegetable Processing 2020

National and international food and health organisations recommend a high daily intake of fruit and vegetables. Processing stabilizes fragile fresh fruits and vegetables, offers convenience to consumers, year-long availability and diversity. How can processing of fruits and vegetables meet food health aspirations, while preserving the environment and having a positive social and economic impact? The F&V Processing 2020 conference meets this challenge. Senior and junior scientists from around the world and involved in the all aspects of fruit and vegetable processing are invited to join the conference in Avignon and to exchange.

Five major topics

1 - Processing and reactivity of F&V

- In minimal, traditional or novel food processing (heating, drying, fermentation, non-conventional innovative physical processes, and combinations)
- Changes undergone at different scales (macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular level) as a result of processing
- Changes in nutrients, texture, colour, flavour, sensory attributes
- Linking quality of fresh F&V to quality of processed products
- Tissue structure and/or enzyme in relation to quality of processed F&V

2 - Integrated approaches for the quality of F&V aimed at processing

- Quantification, assessment and optimisation of food quality along the chain by food actors (domestic preparation, farm processing, catering, SMEs, major companies)
- Efficient, good manufacturing practices
- Development of non-invasive tools for quality control (innovative and efficient probes, spectral analysis, NIR, MIR)

3 - Food systems and sustainability of F&V processing

- Trends in consumption of processed F&V
- New products and processing, and consumer acceptability
- Organic F&V processing concepts and their consequences
- Circular economy in the F&V processing chain, rational use of co-products
- What place for F&V processing in territorial food systems?
- Clean label and naturalness in F&V products
- Valorisation of by-products. Reduction of wastes and spoilage
- Bio-based materials from processed F&V

4 - Specific challenges of F&V processing in the Southern countries

- Changes in food value chains and consequences on the offer of processed F&V in Southern countries
- Integration of processing in traditional as well as in evolving food chains
- Processed F&V to lower the burden of malnutrition in Southern countries?

5 - Identification, characterization and control of microbial and chemical risks in the production chain of processed F&V

- Diversity of microbial communities on F&V aimed at processing
- Inactivation and control of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and their toxins
- Neoformed compounds during F&V processing
- Environmental contaminants, pesticide residues and migration from packaging

registration