Post Harvest Management of Bael Fruit: A Review

Abstract

The bael tree is very hardy and can grow under adverse agro-climatic conditions; unlike other delicate fruit trees. The postharvest system for these fruits is not yet adequately developed, and therefore several handling problems are still common. Bael is a seasonal fruit. Spoilage of bael fruit is mainly due to fungal attack. The stem end of the fruit is very vulnerable to infection. The fruit is presently underutilized but has an important role to play in satisfying the demand for nutritious and delicious natural foods of high therapeutic value. This fruit is rich in anti oxidants and phytochemicals besides some essential nutrient components like vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres etc. No other fruit has such a high content of riboflavin. There is need for processing of bael in to different value added products to reduce the post harvest losses. This paper reviews the literature on post harvest management of bael fruit most notably it covers various facets of post harvest processing, different fruit varieties and its features, handling operations and processed products of bael fruit.