Cecilia Do Nascimento Nunes, Ph.D.
Research Interests
The aim of my research is to understand the impact of postharvest practices, and the effects of environmental and physical conditions on the quality and composition of fresh fruits and vegetables, and to help improving the handling, distribution and retail system in order to provide the consumer with better fruit and vegetable quality.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential constituents of a healthy and well balanced diet, as they supply several biologically important components to the human organism. Besides supplying generous amounts of water, vitamins, and fiber they are very good sources of other bioactive compounds with potential anti-carcinogenic and cardiovascular risk reduction properties. However, fresh fruit and vegetables are often inadequately packaged, exposed to non-optimum or fluctuating temperatures and/or humidity, to low pressure when transported by air, to ethylene released by other crops or equipment, which often results in accelerated loss of fresh appearance, flavor and nutritional value, follow-on deterioration and complete loss. Due to poor handling, it is estimated that more than one third of the fresh produce harvest worldwide is lost at various points in the distribution system between production and distribution sites, never reaching the final consumer, or reaching the consumer with less than half of their nutritional potential.
The main objective of my research program consists in studying the changes in quality and composition of fresh fruits and vegetables in response to environmental (i.e., temperature, humidity, atmosphere) and physical (i.e., packaging) conditions normally encountered throughout the postharvest distribution system, and to predict fruit and vegetable shelf life based on environmental conditions and quality changes. Other aspect of my research consists in using directed postharvest stress and temperature optimization to maximize the genetic potential of fruits and vegetables for sensory and nutritional quality. Results from this research will help to improve the distribution system and provide the consumers with better fruit and vegetable appearance, flavor and nutritional value.
My research team works collaboratively with food science faculty in food chemistry and sensorial analysis, and faculty from horticultural sciences, packaging science and agricultural and biological engineering, as well as with other faculty, members of the Center for Food Distribution and Retailing (CFDR)
Contact Information
Food Science and Human Nutrition Department
SW 23rd Dr. Bldg. 685
P.O. Box 110720
Gainesville, Fl 32611-0720
Phone: (352) 392-1978
Fax: (352) 392-1988
Email: nunes@ufl.edu
