Introduction. Fruit and vegetable consumption is now more than ever before understood, along with physical exercise, to be among the factors ensuring well-being. Cross-cultural epidemiological studies reveal a preventive effect of this consumption on certain human pathologies, whence the emergence of preventive nutrition. Changes in biodiversity dietary intake. Industrially-processed products, undergoing a greater or lesser degree of refinement, were developed during the last century; they focused on a few productive species and varieties. The concept of high-calorie foods, an energy source, which has been prevalent in dietetics over the past few decades, had minimised the role of fruit and vegetables in the diet, due to their low calorie content. Plant biodiversity in foodstuffs originating from the American tropics. There are few cultivated major species and varieties in terms of biodiversity. 40% of the edible plant species in the world today originate from the American tropics. Of the planet's 250 000 estimated plant species, 100 000 are believed to be from the Americas. Preserving the beneficial properties of processed products. To improve recovery of the properties of the fresh resource for the consumer, innovation in the processing methods is required, with unit operations ensuring the best possible preservation of the healthy compounds. Conclusion and prospects. Communication on fruit and vegetables has not enjoyed the same research and publicity resources as many processed products. Knowledge of and information on food resources, diet and health have become a major challenge. The relative wealth of the plant biodiversity from the American tropics represents a heritage we need to reharness.