Abstract: Color is an important factor affecting the sensory quality of fruit and vegetable (FV) products. The vibrant and stable color of FV products can give people a good visual enjoyment, which can in turn promote consumers’ appetite and increase the market value of the products. This paper summarizes the types and properties of natural colorants in FV, clarifies the effects of thermal and non-thermal drying technologies and their combination on the color of FV products, reveals the influence mechanism of colorant degradation products on the products’ quality, and reviews the color preservation technologies of dried FV. We hope that this review could provide a theoretical basis for the color preservation and quality enhancement of dried FV products.

Key words: fruits and vegetables; natural colorants; drying; color; color preservation technologies