Vol. 7, Issue 10, Part F (2025)

In India, fruits and vegetables are often transported to markets without proper sorting, grading, or washing, which results in contamination by dust, microorganisms, and residual pesticides. In many cases, traders wash produces with impure pond or canal water, further increasing microbial risks. Such practices not only reduce quality but also pose serious health hazards to consumers. Washing is therefore a critical primary operation in the food processing industry, essential for removing dirt, harmful chemicals, and surface microbes, as well as for preventing post-harvest diseases and food-borne illnesses. This review summarizes existing fruit and vegetable cleaning technologies and highlights the limitations of conventional washers, which are often inadequate for handling diverse produce. Emerging approaches, particularly bubble and microbubble technologies, show great promise for cleaning delicate fruits and vegetables with minimal damage. Future research should focus on developing flexible, multi-produce washing systems that integrate bubble technology with other methods while ensuring cost-effectiveness for marginal farmers, farmers Producer Company and small enterprises.