Light Regulation of Postharvest Sensory Qualities and Flavor Modulation in Tomatoes and Peppers: A Review

As important economic crops, tomatoes and peppers are prone to postharvest deterioration in sensory qualities such as flavor, color, and firmness, thereby significantly reducing their market value. As a chemical-free approach, light regulation technology shows promising potential in delaying postharvest quality decline and preserving the sensory and nutritional attributes of these crops. This review examines how light exposure influences the multidimensional sensory qualities of postharvest tomatoes and peppers, with a focus on key metabolic pathways including fatty acid degradation, carotenoid cleavage, amino acid metabolism, and sucrose metabolism that contribute to the formation of characteristic flavor compounds under light treatment. A flavor-related metabolic network is proposed, offering valuable insights for the targeted improvement of postharvest sensory qualities in tomatoes and peppers, as well as for the development and application of light-based technologies to reduce postharvest losses and enhance preservation.