Highly valued for its unique flavors textures and colors recent research has shown berry fruit to be high in antioxidants vitamin C fiber folic acid and other beneficial functional compounds. The food industry has also widely used berry fruits in beverages ice cream yogurts and jams. With the rapidly growing popularity of this unique crop it is important to have a single resource for all aspects of the industry from production technologies to nutritional and health benefits. Drawing on the knowledge of leading international experts Berry Fruit: Value-Added Products for Health Promotion is a comprehensive reference on the handling use and functional components of berry fruit. Beginning with an introduction to the current state of the industry the book covers worldwide production and trends specific to each berry including annual perennial and off-season systems. The contributors go into great detail regarding the chemical composition of berries including carbohydrates organic acids enzymes vitamins and minerals; phytochemicals; antioxidants; and the functionality of pigments such as anthocyanins. Chapters address quality and safety concerns during post-harvest handling and storage deterioration and microbial safety for the fresh market and techniques to extend shelf-life including cold-storage and controlled atmosphere packaging. Finally an extensive section highlights processing technologies and the production of value-added foods such as freezing dehydrating and canning; preserves jellies and jams; and the intelligent use of processing by-products. Presenting scientific background research results and critical reviews as well as case studies and references Berry Fruit: Value-Added Products for Health Promotion provides a valuable resource for current knowledge and further research and development of berry fruit for the food industry. Language: English