Quality maintenance of fresh produce.

High quality is essential for the successful marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables. The maintenance of quality after harvest is critical. Postharvest quality is modulated by both internal and external factors. Four areas in which significant advances in quality maintenance have been made over the past decade are critiqued. These include: 1) inhibition of ethylene action with 1-methylcyclopropene; 2) postharvest treatments to maintain the quality of fresh cut produce; 3) modified atmosphere, active, and intelligent packaging technologies; and 4) increasing selection for postharvest quality traits and quality stability in fruit and vegetable breeding programs. New innovations in quality maintenance will increasingly improve consumer satisfaction, convenience and safety.