This comprehensive work discusses those factors which contribute to the overall quality of the major vegetables grown in North America for the fresh market as well as methods for storing and preserving these crops. The qualities which determine the suitability of a crop for processing is also discussed since the majority of vegetables, with the exception of lettuce and celery, are processed for the retail market. The selection of vegetables is based on their economic importance although several others are included for completion.

Food Shelf Life Stability provides a unique approach to understanding this critical subject by examining physical, chemical, and biochemical factors affecting food quality. The first section emphasizes the effects that water activity, glass transition, and plasticization have on temperature, water content, and time-dependant phenomena affecting the shelf life of low and intermediate moisture foods.The remaining chapters discuss how mechanical handling and temperature, irradiation, and packaging all influence shelf life. Section two, on chemical factors, examines the benefits of controlled...