Postharvest Losses of Fruits and Vegetables

1. Postharvest LossesofFruits and Vegetables Yoram Fuchs Dept. of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel

2. Postharvest loss: Is defined as any change in the quality or quantity of the product after harvest that decreases its value. The losses may range from slight defects to total loss of the produce! Small defects (rind breakdown) Total loss (sour rot)

3. Fighting Hunger by Saving PerishablesJorge Luis Alonso · 02-10-2008 • President and CEO of the Global Cold Chain Alliance, spoke to a special United Nations Forum on the global food crisis at United Nations headquarters in New York City. Among many things said that countries without proper cold chain infrastructure lose about 30 to 60% of all perishable products each year before they even get to the table. He argued that the solution to combating world hunger involves more than just producing more food, but reducing losses through “proper postharvest technologies.

4. THE STRATEGIES FOR ATTAINING THESE GOALS INCLUDE: • The primary goals of research on postharvest biology and technology of fresh produce areto reduce lossesin quantity and quality and to maintain safety between harvest and consumption sites.

5. (1) Growing cultivars that have good flavor and nutritional quality plus long postharvest-life potential when harvested at optimum maturity (2) using an integrated crop management system that maximizes yield without sacrificing quality (3) using optimal postharvest handling practices to maintain quality and safety of the food products.

6. The postharvest story starts at production. Therefore, efforts should be made to integrate production with postharvest management. • Food loss reduction is normally less costly than equivalent increases (in quantity) in food production. • There is a need for a sound foundation in developing integrated postharvest management systems for fruit and vegetables, with proper infrastructural facilities and logistic support. • The idea is to try, as far as possible, to maintain the initial product quality. • Usually there are both losses in quantity and in quality

7. COUNTRY India Indonesia Iran Korea Philipines Sri-Lanka Thailand Vietnam LEVEL OF LOSS (%) 40 20 – 50 >35 20 – 50 27 – 42 16 – 41 17 – 35 20 - 25 Estimated Levels of Postharvest Losses in the Asia Pacific Region R.S. Rolle, Agr.Industries Officer, FAO, 2004

8. CAUSES OF POSTHARVEST LOSSES • External factors Mechanical injuries Parasitic diseases • Internal factors Physiological deterioration

9. RAW MATERIAL • No Matter how perfect postharvest operations are, good returns cannot be obtained from poor quality raw materials • Pre-harvest essential factors: -Select suitable varieties -Apply proper crop management -Conduct proper disease and pest control -Harvest at the appropriate maturity stage -Apply proper harvesting practices in order to minimize damage at time of harvest

10. Effect of ripeness stage and drop height on incidence of internal bruising in tomatoes (‘Solar set’)

11. SANITATION: before, during and after harvest Dropped fruit and plant debris – a source of infection. Remove it from the grove. Repeatedly used infected packages and tools – a source of infection. The tools must be cleaned and sterilized. Used carton packages should be discarded. Dropped fruit collected for elimination

12. POSTHARVEST LOSSES MAY OCCUR AT DIFFERENT STEPS DURIN THE MARKETING CHAIN Losses at harvest: injuries, pressure damage Losses at the packinghouse: chemicals, brushes and wax damage Losses during storage:chilling injuries, decay, peel disorders Losses during transport:bruising, deformation,decay Losses at retail:decay, softening, wilting Losses at the consumers:decay, softening, wilting

13. Losses during harvest Pressure damage Mechanical injury Spliting

14. Long button injury

15. WOUNDING BY THE STEMS

16. MECHANICAL DAMAGE BIN DAMAGE

17. Losses at the packinghouse Chemical spray injuries

18. Many studies showed that hot water dips (2-3 min at 53ºC) reduces decay development. Recently, a new method combining a short hot water rinsing and brushing treatment (55-60ºC for 20-30 s) was developed to clean and disinfect agricultural products.

19. Hot tank damage Brushes damage

20. Wax damage

21. Losses during Storage Decay

22. MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE OF TOMMY ETKINS MANGO

23. Rind breakdown Physiological disorders Chilling injuries Stem-end Rind breakdown

24. CHILLING INJURIES

25. CHILLING INJURIES

26. Losses at various stages of marketing of two mango varieties

27. Losses at various stages of marketing of two mango varieties

28. Losses at various stages of marketing of two mango varieties Eight to nine days after harvest, including five days in the market. Srinivas et al J. Food Sci. Technol 1977. 34:70-72 Bangalore, India

29. Losses at various stages of marketing of two mango varieties

30. Postharvest Losses in Selected Commodities in Taiwan (1993) (%) Wiils, McGlasson, Graham and Joyce (1998)

31. IN SUMMARY It is necessary to pay special attention along the various stages of the handling of the commodity (from harvest, packinghouse treatments, storage, transport, retail and consumers) to avoid postharvest losses. Proper infrastructure, logistics and management and human resources are essential to maintain improved postharvest procedures and marketing of fruits and vegetables. Thank you!

32. Fighting Hunger by Saving PerishablesJorge Luis Alonso · 02-10-2008 • President and CEO of the Global Cold Chain Alliance, spoke to a special United Nations Forum on the global food crisis at United Nations headquarters in New York City. Among many things said that countries without proper cold chain infrastructure lose about 30 to 60% of all perishable products each year before they even get to the table. He argued that the solution to combating world hunger involves more than just producing more food, but reducing losses through “proper postharvest technologies.