Fruit and vegetable quality from the field to the table

It is undebated that a sufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables decreases the risk of various diseases. In spite of this, Swiss consumption of fruit and vegetables remains relatively low. Campaigns are now planned in Switzerland to increase consumption of these food groups, with a view to contributing to the prevention of several diseases. Hindering factors to a sufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables are amongst others lack of quality of the product and insufficient knowledge of the consumers. Each link in the chain of production from the field to the table influences quality of the consumed product. The Federal Research Station Wädenswil aims to develop quality assurance measures with the goal of satisfying the quality demands of the consumer as well as all the partners involved in the chain of production and distribution. In addition a solid foundation of knowledge will be expanded to form a reliable basis for information transfer.