Sweet Basil Raw Material Functionality as a Framework for Industrial Pesto Quality: A Field-to-Fork Perspective

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), the defining ingredient of “pesto alla Genovese”—a traditional uncooked Ligurian sauce prepared by blending fresh basil leaves with olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and aged cheeses- has become an increasingly important industrial raw material, yet current knowledge remains fragmented across agronomy, postharvest physiology, and food processing. This review critically proposes “raw material functionality” as an integrative framework describing the measurable ability of basil to retain the physicochemical, sensory, and technological properties required for high-quality pesto production throughout processing and storage. Evidence from the literature is critically analyzed to connect preharvest factors, postharvest handling, and processing technologies with key functional attributes, including pigment stability, phenolic content, volatile composition, enzymatic activity, microbial quality and oxidative stability. The review highlights how agronomic and technological variables jointly determine color retention, aroma preservation, shelf-life, and product consistency, while identifying major knowledge gaps in linking basil composition with industrial performance. Finally future perspectives are discussed, emphasizing predictive, quality-by-design approaches that integrate compositional markers with processing behavior and shelf-life outcomes to support more consistent and sustainable industrial pesto production.