Background. Microwave heating is one of the methods used during food processing, understood in a broad sense, which attracts the greatest interest in Europe and North America. This paper presents the principle of microwave radiation and its application in the food industry. The use and impact of flow microwave pasteurization on the quality of fruit and vegetable products,  considered in terms of the most important quality characteristics, i.e. microbiological stability, enzymatic activity, basic physicochemical characteristics, color, the content of the most important  groups of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, were discussed.
Results and conclusions. Flow microwave pasteurization is used to preserve liquid and semi-liquid products such as purees, juices, beverages and soups. The right combination of parameters  determines the effective inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes. The method does not significantly alter pH, titratable acidity or total soluble solids. The literature indicates that  microwave pasteurization has a varying effect on the degree of color change, depending on parameters used and a food matrix. In most cases, it allows for the better retention of bioactive  components compared to traditional pasteurization due to shorter high temperature exposure time. The study shows the potential for an increase in the overall content of polyphenolic  compounds in the case of microwave-preserved products containing raw material tissue. Continuous flow microwave pasteurization is an unconventional preservation technique in the fruit and vegetable industry, which has been thriving in recent years. Due to the economic advantages of the process and the potentially higher quality of resulting products compared to conventional preservation methods, microwave pasteurization is gaining popularity.