Fruits and vegetables are a fundamental component of cuisines and are essential for supplying consumers of all ages with fresh, wholesome food worldwide. Dietary sustainability is one of the most significant worldwide concerns of the twenty-first century (Reinhardt et al. 2020). The fruit and vegetable supply chain is significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in particular. There are new costs and challenges to deal with even while there is a lot being done to ensure the consistency and continuity of supply at points of sale. The inefficiency brought on by the necessary social isolation in orchards and packhouses, increases in logistical expenses as a result of trucks returning empty to their base, increased safety precautions, and delays are only a few of the causes of these new expenditures. Additionally, there are product losses and market pressures. Because these greater costs are not offset by higher returns on sales, pressure is mounting on growers and merchants (OECD 2020). Despite the fact that global agriculture effectively supplies enough calories for the world's current population, there is a considerable overproduction of high-energy foods, especially sugar, cereals, and oils, and insufficient worldwide production of fruits and vegetables (Bisbis et al. 2018). The transition to healthy diets necessitates the availability and affordability of the required foods for low-income populations. Therefore, increasing the consumption of and production of fruits, and vegetables, and moving toward a diet high in plant protein is the best strategy for a rising population (especially impoverished consumers) to attain a nutritionally balanced diet, save land, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Lau et al. 2021). The consumption of most individuals still does not reach the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for a healthy diet, despite the general recognition and preference of consumers for safe, high-quality, nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables and the rise in health awareness (Kumanyika et al. 2020). Additionally, a lot of waste is produced during the production, storage, and processing of fruits and vegetables, and because of their high moisture content and organic matter load, they have the potential to seriously pollute the environment (Porat et al. 2018). As a result, efficient and sustainable processing is crucial to the modernization of the fruits and vegetables system. Because fruits and vegetables are seasonal and only available for a limited time, attempts have been made to preserve the availability of safe fruits and vegetables for longer periods of time, allowing for a more varied diet throughout the entire year (Chavan and Amarowicz 2012; Liu et al. 2020; Sapper and Chiralt 2018; T. Xu et al. 2019). Increased palatability was also a result of traditional processing methods, particularly in terms of texture, stability during transport, and consumer convenience (Swain and Ray 2017).
Additionally, consumer preference has a big impact on how much fruits and vegetables are consumed. In other words, customers make decisions about buying fresh produce based on search (such as color, size, firmness, and flaws), experience (such as taste, texture, and cooking quality), and credibility (such as organic, fair trade, local origin, and pesticide residues) considerations. The future of processed fruits and vegetables products may therefore also need to satisfy consumers' desire for qualities that are natural, nourishing, healthful, and individualized (Kokthi et al. 2021). It is difficult to strike a balance between safety, micronutrient preservation, and energy expenditures in practice even though minimal processing can theoretically boost the nutritious value. Unprocessed fruits and vegetables contain a high number of vital nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, but it is unclear how much of these elements will be maintained after processing as well as how much of them will be accessible and digested (Slavin and Lloyd 2012). Small local mobile workshops have proliferated, but these regional processing facilities also face numerous political, economic, and cultural obstacles. Due to their high moisture content, perishability, and vulnerability, fresh fruits and vegetables have more severe requirements for stable and secure preservation across the supply chain (Calín-Sánchez et al. 2020; Ferdaus et al. 2020; Tedesco et al. 2021).
To assure product safety, this may, however, result in unnecessary packaging and the misuse of numerous substances in most items, which would produce too much waste and environmental degradation. The best modern fruits and vegetables preservation solutions ought to be adaptable and tailored, resource-efficient, and dependent on seasonality and demand (Mieszczakowska-Frąc et al. 2021). Focusing on technical and financial viability, they should also take into account the needs of customers and the food supply chain in addition to the distinctive and typical expectations of major industries or small and medium-sized fruits and vegetables processors. To handle its complexity and the losses and waste throughout the entire chain, a robust fruits and vegetables chain system needs to be built. For example, better post-harvest preservation of fruits and vegetables, well-utilized and controlled data, well-organized logistics in the supply chain, and cutting-edge processing equipment and technology are all necessary interventions. Thus, perishable fruits and vegetables can be successfully processed and employed as consumer goods or reliable culinary ingredients (Pirozzi et al. 2021; Teimoury et al. 2013). Additionally, the study of food processing, particularly the processing of fruits and vegetables, is complex and involves a number of scientific fields, necessitating the dissolution of disciplinary boundaries.
Over the past ten years, there has been a rise in customer demand for high-quality, fresh food products, which has raised interest in the creation of novel food processing technology (Morales-de la Peña et al. 2019). It is also important to understand that food preservation refers to processing done to food to prevent microbial, enzyme, and autooxidative deterioration (Tavman et al. 2019). The main goal of food preservation is to either stop or significantly reduce the activity of pathogenic bacteria. Many preservation methods are now utilized on a global scale, including chemical preservation, canning, dehydration, freeze-drying, salting, pickling, pasteurization, fermentation, and carbonation.
In the Republic of Kazakhstan, stabilizing domestic agricultural production through enhanced productivity and profitability of the agricultural sector's branches, with effective government supervision, is currently the key priority in ensuring food security (Tireuov et al. 2020). The Republic of Kazakhstan's national interests in the agricultural sector includes: ensuring the required amount of domestic food production and maintaining the state food reserve at a normative level; ensuring the quality of products and sales in accordance with food quality and safety standards; as well as ensuring the required subsistence wage and a decent standard of high-quality, healthy living (Aigarinova et al. 2014). Many research projects aim to keep fruits and vegetables fresh till consumption (Li et al. 2017; Miller et al. 2013; Pinto et al. 2016). Fresh fruit and vegetable quality losses due to inappropriate postharvest technology use typically occur during the cold chain. In order to keep the original quality and stop microbial decomposition, it is also crucial to use the right postharvest preservation techniques, especially when fresh fruit is being shipped to far-off markets (Xing et al. 2019). However, supporting original thought is essential for technological advancement. Unfortunately, the fruit and vegetable preservation sector hasn't seen a lot of innovation. As a result, the study attempts to examine several aspects of innovation management in the field of fruit and vegetable preservation. The Web of Science database was used for a review of the trends, and a questionnaire survey was used to gauge the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state of innovation management in the field of fruit and vegetable preservation. 256 journal articles were taken from the Web of Science database and thoroughly examined and evaluated.