Plant Product Quality - Horticulture

We investigate different factors that affect this variation. We have a special interest in components that affect health; nutrients, bioactive substances and fibres, and how factors such as growing conditions, genetic variation, storage, and process methods affect the content. A special focus has been on analyses of bioactive compounds.

The research also covers issues related to circular economy, food waste, and the use of side streams of horticultural crops for new products. New utilization for side streams can be innovative food products or technical uses. The research includes quantification of food waste / production loss at different parts of the postharvest handling chain, but also measures to limit the waste.
Another part of our research focuses on issues related to quality and postharvest handling and physiology of fruits, berries and vegetables. Methods are being developed to reduce diseases in the field and during storage of apple and other fruit, and we also investigate how different fungal diseases are spread to the fruit or fruit tree. We conduct field trials and storage experiments using commercial technology, and also investigate how new technology can be used and adapted to Swedish varieties.