SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This article concerns the degreening process in the marketing of citrus fruit which is used to bring forward the citrus season, to make fruit more attractive to consumers, and generally to introduce more control of the harvesting and ripening process. However, in the attempt to improve fruit appearance, other quality attributes may be sacrificed. The process is known to be detrimental to external fruit quality and is also suspected to be detrimental to consumption quality and shelf life. In the context of a dynamic and competitive fruit market, any reduction in product quality will have a negative economic impact on both industry and consumers, and on public health objectives. Further technical and marketing research is necessary, but there is sufficient evidence to be cautious about the widespread use of degreening.