Small Scale Postharvest Handling Practices
Postharvest Horticulture Series No. 8ENovember 2015Small-Scale Postharvest Handling Practices:A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5th Edition)Lisa Kitinoja and Adel A. KaderUniversity of California, DavisPostharvest Technology Research and Information Center
AcknowledgmentsThe development of the first edition of this manual was supported, in part, by USAID fundsvia USDA grant number 58319R-3-004, the National Agricultural Research Project, Ministryof Agriculture, Egypt. The first edition, published in June 1993, second edition (January1994), third edition (March 1995) and fourth editions (Nov 2003) have been much in demandand encouraged our efforts to update the manual and produce a fifth edition.Earlier editions of the manual have been translated into Spanish, French, Punjabi, Arabic,Africaans, Bengali, Khmer, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesian, Swahili, Amharic and Chinesewith the assistance of our colleagues at the University of California at Davis and atagricultural universities and postharvest extension programs around the world. Translationinto Hindi is currently underway. These manuals, as well as the 2015 5th edition in English,can be downloaded at no cost from the UC Postharvest Technology Center websitehttp://postharvest.ucdavis.edu.This fifth edition includes the practices for postharvest handling presented in earlier editions,while providing information on many additional practices for reducing losses, maintainingquality and ensuring food safety during small-scale handling and food processing ofhorticultural commodities.Over the years we have had help from our colleagues at UC Davis, the University of Florida,USDA-ARS, the University of Wisconsin and from international colleagues as well. Thanksgo to Jeff Brecht (UF), Joe Smilanick (USDA-ARS), Astrid Newenhouse (University ofWisconsin-Madison), Dr. SK Roy (Amity University, India), Eli Fallik (The Volcani Center,Israel), Fabio Mencarelli (Universita delgi Studi della Tuscia, Italy), Bruce Champ (AustralianCentre for Agricultural Research, Canberra), Jose Emilio Suadi Hasbun (PROEXANT, Quito,Ecuador), Susan Woodhead (Natural Resources Institute, Kent, England), P.A. Hicks (FAORegional Office for Asia and the Pacific), Sergio Chavez Franco (Centro de Fruticultura,Mexico), Seung Koo Lee (Seoul National University, Suwon, Korea), the staff at the ASEANFood Handling Bureau (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) for providing updated references andaccess to unpublished materials, Angelos Deltsidis, Stephanie Tomuta and Marisa Jung ofthe Postharvest Technology Center at UC Davis for their technical and editorial review of the5th edition.During the revisions of this manual and before the completion of this 5th edition, Dr. Adel A.Kader passed away (December 2012). He is greatly missed by the international postharvestcommunity, but his legacy lives on in the many young people who study postharvesttechnologies and apply them to improve the lives of small farmers all over the world.Dr. Lisa KitinojaThe Postharvest Education orgNovember 20, 2015Small Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5 th edition).i
DisclaimerThe Postharvest Technology Center (PTC) at the University of California, Davis does notguarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or ‘conformity and suitability-in-trade’ ofany information provided and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for any resultsobtained from the use of such information. The PTC does not purport to and cannot providelegal advice or verification of conformance with industry-based standards or local, state,provincial, Tribal Nations, or federal level regulatory compliance.In an effort to provide diverse options for the end-user of this manual, the authors haveincluded information which is clearly not or may not be consistent with currently heldregional, national, or global standards for safe food production, even for small-scale andlimited resource operations. Adopting any recommendations, models, methods, protocols,or guidance presented or derived from any part of this manual does not ensure compliancewith U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s final Food Safety Modernization Act rules andrelated regulations or any other law or legal requirement for producers, shippers, handlers,direct-sales, or cooperatives marketing covered or non-covered edible horticultural products.Individuals engaged or entering commercial marketing, with commodities and practicescovered in this manual, are strongly advised to carefully review the materials and makeadoption and implementation decisions cognizant of regulatory and audit standards forqualified suppliers in the destination country(ies).The PTC gives no expressed or implied warranties, including but not limited to, anywarranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use of commoditiesproduced, stored, shipped, or marketed following practices or technologies described orcited in this manual.Trevor Suslow, Ph.D.Director, Postharvest Technology Center5 December 2016iiSmall Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5 th edition).
Users' Feedback SolicitedThe Postharvest Technology Center welcomes suggestions for additions to this manual andfor changes in the materials included in this edition and will include such changes in the nextedition. Please send your correspondence by mail or e-mail directly to:Postharvest Technology CenterDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davispostharvest@ucdavis.eduThank you for your cooperation and assistance.Small Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5 th edition).iii
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments . iTable of Contents . ivIntroduction to the Manual . 1Principal Causes of Postharvest Losses and Poor Quality . 4Principal Causes of Postharvest Losses and Poor Quality by Type of Crop . 5Relative Perishability and Storage Life of Fresh Produce . 6Produce Facts . 7Resources for Quality Assurance and Export Marketing . 8Chapter 1: Harvesting and Preparation for Market . 10Best Practices for Harvesting . 13Maturity Standards . 14Using a Refractometer . 16Using a Firmness Tester . 17Harvesting Practices . 18Harvesting Containers . 20Harvesting Tools. 22Field Packing . 27Transport to the Packinghouse . 30Chapter 2: Curing Root, Tuber and Bulb Crops . 31Field Curing . 32Curing with Heated Air . 34Bulk Systems for Curing Onions . 35Emergency Curing . 36Chapter 3: Packinghouse Operations . 37Best Practices for Packinghouse Operations . 40Narrow Pallet System . 41General Operations . 42Packinghouse Layout . 43Dumping . 44Conveyor Equipment . 46Washing . 47Waxing . 50Sorting . 51Sizing . 56Simple Packing Line . 61Chapter 4: Packing and Packaging Materials . 63Best Practices for Packing and Packaging . 65Packing Practices . 67Packing Containers . 71Choosing a Container . 81Packaging Practices . 84ivSmall Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5 th edition).
Labeling . 88Modularization of Containers . 89Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) . 91Unit loads . 94Chapter 5: Decay and Insect Control . 95Best Practices for Postharvest Pest Management. 96Chemical Controls . 98Vase Life of Cut Flowers . 104Cold Treatments . 105Controlled/modified atmosphere treatments . 106Heat Treatments . 108Biological Control and Plant Growth Regulators . 110Chapter 6: Temperature and Relative Humidity Control . 111Best practices for managing temperature and relative humidity . 113Room Cooling . 115Forced-air Cooling (See also the USDA Portacooler on page 202) . 116Hydro-cooling . 120Evaporative Cooling . 122Night Air Ventilation . 129Chilling Injury . 130Use of Ice . 132Alternative Methods of Cooling . 134Increasing Relative Humidity . 135Maintaining the Cold Chain for Perishables . 136Chapter 7: Storage of Horticultural Crops . 137Best practices for storage of fresh fruits and vegetables . 139Recommended storage temperatures . 140Compatibility groups for storage of fruits and vegetables . 146Susceptibly to Freezing Injury. 149Storage Practices . 150Storage Structures. 155Storage of Dried and Bulb Crops . 174Storage of Root and Tuber Crops. 176Storage of Potatoes . 177Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage . 181Chapter 8: Transportation of Horticultural Crops . 194Best Practices For Transport . 195Open Vehicles . 198USDA Portacooler . 201Refrigerated Trailers . 202Stacking Patterns/Hand-stacked . 204Stacking Patterns/Pallet and Slip Sheet loads . 208Stacking Strength . 209Bracing the Load . 210Air Transport . 212Small Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5 th edition).v
Chapter 9: Handling at Destination . 213Best practices for destination handling . 214Unloading . 215Temporary Storage Temperatures . 218Sorting/Repacking . 220Ripening . 222Display . 230Chapter 10: Processing of Horticultural Crops . 233Processing Equipment. 234Preparation for Processing . 236Solar Drying . 239Forced-air Dehydrators . 245Oil-burning Dehydrators . 245Electric Dehydrators . 247Oven Drying. 248Drying Flowers. 250Canning . 252Juicing . 255Other Methods of Processing . 256Chapter 11: Food Safety Practices . 258Food Safety on the Farm . 260Minimizing Pathogen Contamination During Harvest . 262Minimizing Pathogen Contamination During Postharvest Handling . 263Sanitizing Field Containers, Tools and Packhouse Surfaces . 265Traceback . 266For further information . 267General References . 268Appendix A . 273viSmall Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5 th edition).
Introduction to the ManualThe three main objectives of applying postharvest technology to harvested fruits andvegetables are:1) To maintain quality (appearance, texture, flavor and nutritive value),2) To protect food safety, and3) To reduce losses between harvest and consumption.Effective management during the postharvest period, rather than the level ofsophistication of any given technology, is the key in reaching the desired objectives.While large-scale operations may benefit from investing in costly handling machineryand high-tech postharvest treatments, often these options are not practical for smallscale handlers. Instead, simple, low-cost technologies often can be more appropriatefor small volume, limited resource commercial operations, farmers involved in directmarketing, as well as for suppliers to exporters in developing countries.Since the first edition of this manual was first published, the number of small farmsand active farmer’s markets in the USA has been steadily on the rise. According tothe USDA-AMS, the number of farmers markets increased from 1,755 in 1994 to7,175 in 2011. “Buy Fresh-Buy Local” campaigns are common in many ci
Small Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (5th edition). i Acknowledgments The development of the first edition of this manual was supported, in part, by USAID funds via USDA grant number 58319R-3-004, the National Agricultural Research Project, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt.
Small-scale Postharvest Handling Practices and Improved Technologies for Reducing Food Losses Lisa Kitinoja, The Postharvest Education Foundation November 2016 This is a free pdf e-learning manual of 12 self-managed assignments on easy to learn postharvest extension methods. Assignments
harvest. From this study, it was revealed that the postharvest quality and shelf life of the fruit in part will depend on some postharvest handling practices and treatments carried out a er harvest. Handling
postharvest best handling practices and optimum postharvest conditions for different types of horticultural crops. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of the course, students should have an appreciation for the factors related to quality deterioration and wastage of horticultural commodities after
and Vegetables in the Asia-Pacific Region APO 2006, ISBN: 92-833-7051-1 Reports of the APO seminar on Reduction of Postharvest Losses of Fruit and Vegetables held in India, 5-11 October 2004 and Marketing and Food Safety: Challenges in Postharvest Management of Agricultural/ Horticultural Products in Islamic Republic of Iran, 23-28 July 2005
control of postharvest losses of root and tuber crop produce was 2.858. Marketing extension services had significant effect on the volume of postharvest losses of root and tuber crop produce in the study area given that the F- statistics of 102.569 is significant at 1% level of significance and that computed F- value was higher than
CCC-466/SCALE 3 in 1985 CCC-725/SCALE 5 in 2004 CCC-545/SCALE 4.0 in 1990 CCC-732/SCALE 5.1 in 2006 SCALE 4.1 in 1992 CCC-750/SCALE 6.0 in 2009 SCALE 4.2 in 1994 CCC-785/SCALE 6.1 in 2011 SCALE 4.3 in 1995 CCC-834/SCALE 6.2 in 2016 The SCALE team is thankful for 40 years of sustaining support from NRC
1.4. Pre- and post- harvest factors influencing post-harvest quality Pre-harvest factors affecting postharvest quality Several factors before harvest affect quality of horticultural crops after harvest. Some of these factors are related to the plant, others are related to the environment or to cultural practices. Culti
Un additif alimentaire est défini comme ‘’ n’importe quelle substance habituellement non consommée comme un aliment en soi et non employée comme un ingrédient caractéristique de l’aliment, qu’il ait un une valeur nutritionnelle ou non, dont l’addition intentionnelle à l’aliment pour un but technologique dans la fabrication, le traitement, la préparation, l’emballage, le .
