Abstract:

This article reviews recent advances in the research on the effect of temperature shock treatments (heat and
cold) on the storage quality and chilling injury of postharvest fruits and vegetables with respect to quality attributes and
physiological and biochemical characteristics. The future development direction of temperature shock treatment is also
proposed. The suitable temperature shock treatments help maintain the hardness of fruits and vegetables, improve the taste
and flavor for consumer acceptance, inhibit the decomposition of chlorophyll and yellowing, decrease weight loss rate, lower
respiration rate, alleviate or suppress the release of ethylene by inhibiting the related enzyme activities, prevent the increase
of PPO and POD activities, induce the synthesis of new proteins, enhance cell resistance to environmental stress, postpone
the increase of cell membrane permeability, and result in a decline in MDA generation.

Key words: postharvest fruits and vegetables, heat shock treatment, cold shock treatment, storage quality, chilling injury