Advances in value-addition of horticultural crops: postharvest shelf-life extension, clean-label preservation, minimally processed products, and byproduct valorization

India’s horticulture sector is expanding rapidly, yet substantial value is lost through postharvest deterioration and quality downgrading within fresh supply chains. Recent NABCONS estimates for 2020–22 indicate postharvest losses of 6.02-15.05% in fruits, 4.87-11.61% in vegetables, and 1.29-7.33% in plantation crops and spices, with notable losses in tomato, mango, banana, onion, cassava/tapioca, chilli, turmeric, and black pepper. This review synthesises science-based pathways for value addition in Indian horticultural crops, focusing on major fruits and vegetables such as mango, banana, tomato, and onion, as well as high-value spices, while considering roots and tubers within the broader horticultural context. The review integrates the mechanistic basis of postharvest losses, including respiration, ripening, water loss, browning, pigment instability, microbial spoilage, and mechanical injury, with practical strategies for preservation and processing. It examines quality-retention approaches for minimally processed produce, including harvest maturity management, pre-cooling, cold-chain maintenance, modified atmosphere packaging, edible coatings, clean-label antimicrobials, and alternative sanitisation methods. Value addition is further highlighted through fresh-cut, ready-to-cook, ready-to-use, dehydrated, and fermented products, as well as by-product valorisation into functional ingredients and sustainable packaging materials. A matching framework is proposed to align crop perishability with feasible technologies across farm-gate, FPO/MSME, and industrial scales. Key research priorities include predictive shelf-life models, packaging-produce matching, validation of clean-label sanitation, energy-efficient cooling, and by-product valorisation supported by safety and techno-economic evidence.