The course aims to comprehend the characteristics of fruits and vegetables that are associated with the quality of the final products, familiarize students with processing methods, and equip them with skills in assessing the quality characteristics and grading the final products (e.g., compost, jams, juices, dried fruits, coffee, dried aromatic herbs, etc.).

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Understand the morphological classification of fruits and vegetables.
• Comprehend the chemical composition, the relationship of components to nutritional value, and their impact on the quality of produced plant foods.
• Recognize the environmental and biological factors affecting the preservation of fruits and vegetables after harvesting and processing.
• Identify the quality characteristics of fresh fruits and vegetables intended for industrial processing and select appropriate varieties.
• Understand the stages of preparation (transport, washing, sorting).
• Gain knowledge about processing methods, including thermal treatment, juicing, refrigeration-preservation in modified atmosphere, irradiation, freezing, products with added sugar (jams), products preserved in brine, and more.
• Perform a comparative evaluation of methods.
• Conduct quality control of raw materials and final products, perform quality classification of final products based on specifications.
• Understand product alterations, potential sources of deviation, and critical control points (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points – HACCP).