analysis and proposal

Post-harvest handling summary report

(Customers box weight analysis.)

Subject:

Proposal to introduce quality assurance

Other subjects

Post-harvest management

Coldchain management

Quality management

Auther: Siang’ani Lackson.

A graduate from University of Nairobi poses a Bsc. Horticulture with knowledge in floriculture

and horticultural crops, postharvest management and cold chain management.

Post-harvest management, coldchain management and quality management.

i | P a g e

ABSTRACT

Proper Post-harvest handling practices minimize quality deterioration of fresh produce and each

player along the post-harvest chain i.e. those involved in harvesting, handling and marketing of

fresh produce- has a role to play in assuring the safety and quality of fresh produce. An

observation made in a period not let that eight month indicates that other than pre-harvest and

post-harvest(processing) factors that affect quality of cut-flowers, some deteriorating factor

arises in cold-chain and can be physical, biochemical or physiological. This factors result from

improper handling in the cold-chain(transport and cold-room), chilling injury, lack of

proper packaging, improper loading and offloading, lack of proper training for product

handlers, adverse environmental conditions and inadequate cooling facility from the

product sources. These factors cause breaks and these breaks have an additive effect on

reducing the potential shelf life of horticultural product. Overlooking these factor reduce

cold-room performance and keeps it on lower side however, Quality assurance activities assure

technical and quality parameters to ensure shelflife, saleability and improving cold-room

performance. The necessity to solve these breaks becomes a basis for proposal to introduce

Quality assurance with knowledge in post-harvest handling and quality management system.

Introducing quality assurance in the chain will be a corrective measure to maintain quality and

cold-room assessment for Proper equipment settings, Product conformity, and handling protocols

resulting in the reduction of claims but most importantly safety and quality assurance of the

produce is maintained. Consistent product quality builds confidence in perishable product

handling.


ii | P a g e

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... i

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1

Flower physiology literature. ........................................................................................................................ 2

The cold-chain and its importance ................................................................................................................ 2

Return on investment in temperature and relative humidity management.................................................... 3

Interference in the coldchain that affect cold-room performance ................................................................. 4

a) Mixing Fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables in one load or storing in same room. .......................... 4

c) Packaging, under-packaging and Over-packaging ............................................................................ 7

d) Handling Rejects ............................................................................................................................... 9

e) Loading and Transportation ............................................................................................................ 10

f) Temperature/Relative Humidity. .................................................................................................... 10

Following Recommendation will help to improving coldroom performance. ............................................ 13

Quality assurance ........................................................................................................................................ 14

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 18

Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 18

Portfolio .................................................................................................................................................. 18

References ................................................................................................................................................... 24


1 | P a g e

Introduction

The coldchain is generally considered as the transport and storage chain between the initial

production and the final consumer of temperature-controlled perishable goods and in this case,

fresh cutflowers, fruits and vegetables are considered. Continuous work-flow, increased work

volume and limited space especially during peak season, result to interference in handling

causing breaks that deteriorate the quality. Deteriorating factor and their determining causes in

the coldchain will be as follows

Deterioration factor determining causes

Biological and physiological

Spoilage micro-organisms - Inadequate hygiene and sanitation practices

(E.g. Bacteria and fungi)

Respiration rate - Excessive heat and high temperatures

Ethylene production - Environment temperature/atmospheric pressure

Maturation, ripening, senescence - Time and environment

Transpiration and water loss - Time, environment and improper packaging

Chemical and biochemical

Enzymic - Environment, handling and bruising

Oxidation -High oxygen concentration and availability

Non-enzymic changes - Improper packaging, composition, heat

Light oxidation -Improper packaging

Physical

Bruising and crushing - Improper handling and packaging

Wilting - High relative humidity and improper packaging

Texture changes - Environment and improper packaging

Moisture changes - High relative humidity and improper Packaging


2 | P a g e

Flower physiology literature.

Cutflower is a more complex organ than seeds, fruit, and most vegetables as flowers where flower,

stems, and leaves interact. Most fruit and vegetables are harvested after they have fully developed.

In most cut flowers however, one can distinguish between two distinct stages in the physiology of

the flowers. In the first stage, flower bud growth and opening and in the second stage;

maturation, senescence and wilting. So in a way to achieve cutflower longevity one must

accomplish two seemingly conflicting purposes: Promotion of growth processes in the first stage

and retardation of metabolic processes leading to senescence at the second stage.

Termination of vaselife in cutflowers is mostly associated with wilting, bent necks etc. because

transpiration exceeds the supply of water. Resistance to stem water flow can be classed as physical,

physiological or biological in nature.

The causes of postharvest losses are many, main categories; physical loss and loss of quality.

Physical loss can arise from structural damage and loss can arise from the evaporation of

intercellular water, which leads to a direct loss in weight. Loss of quality can be due to

physiological and compositional changes that alter the appearance and makes the flowers less

desirable aesthetically, Quality is a term applicable to any characteristic including degree of grade,

form, colour, size, or other subjective measurement (Conover, 1986), Noordegraaf (1995) argues

that ‘Quality is that which the customer likes. Only top quality flowers will be marketed because

of the increasing quality consciousness of the consumers. The changes may arise from normal

metabolism of produce or abnormal events originating from the postharvest environment.

The cold-chain and its importance

The cold-chain encompasses all the critical steps and processes that food and other perishable

products must undergo in order to maintain their quality. Like any chain, the coldchain is only as

strong as its weakest link. Major limitations experienced by the cold-chain include poor

temperature management due to either the lack of, or limitations in, refrigeration, handling,

storage, and humidity control. Investment in cold-chain infrastructure ultimately leads to a

reduction in the level of losses and quality degradation in fresh produce, with overall net positive

economic returns.


3 | P a g e

Return on investment in temperature and relative humidity management

Deficiencies in cold-chain management whether due to limitations in refrigeration, improper

handling and storage, or inadequate humidity control, can lead to losses in profits as well as in

horticultural product. Overcoming such deficiencies necessitates improvements in

methodologies, operations and handling along the chain. Often the level of investment required

in overcoming such deficiencies is minimal in comparison to the level of losses sustained over

time. For instance;-

A University of California study determined that excess weight loss coupled with color

deterioration resulting from delays between harvest and cooling, improper refrigeration

temperature and relative humidity control during the shipping of table grapes resulted in a 15

percent loss in the value of that commodity. Resultant monetary losses were greater than the cost

of improved management of temperature and RH of the grapes with perforated plastic liners in

the boxes and by minimizing delays prior to cooling with humidified, forced air.

Control over the temperature is the most important factor as temperature and the speed of

metabolism decreases with decreasing temperature affect the rate of postharvest deterioration. But

other conditions are also important like the concentration of certain gases like ethylene and water

vapour in the atmosphere around the produce. A high relative humidity is necessary to minimise

water loss.


4 | P a g e

Coldchain management and quality measure required.

Quality cannot be improved after harvest, though can be maintained. Quality remains ultimate

goal for postharvest handling process for flowers, fruits and vegetables. Overlooking some of

postharvest factors may deteriorate quality hence rejection or reduction in marketability of the

fresh product. Cold storage is crucial for quality maintenance during long-distance travel and a

temperature of between 350F and 40

0F prolong shelflife.

Interference in the coldchain that affect cold-room performance

Mixing Fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables in one load.

Improper handling in the cold-room

Packaging, under-packing and Over-packing

Handling rejects.

Loading, offloading and transportation.

Temperature and relative humidity.

a) Mixing Fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables in one load or storing in same room.

Mixing produce in one load is common and often compromises have to be made in selecting an

optimal temperature and atmospheric composition in coldchain where chilling-sensitive with

non-chilling sensitive commodities or ethylene-producing with ethylene-sensitive commodities.

The specified storage condition for fresh cut flowers, fruits and vegetables are different with

respect to storage purposes be it documentations, order delay, flight delay or inspection.

Subjecting these products to optimal condition in the same room result into adverse invisible

effect, for instance these products enters cold-room with different temperature (high or low),

those with high temperature (>50C-20

0C) have higher respiration rate and if not reduced to

required minimum temperature and instead cooled to the same optimal condition, deterioration

will be hastened due to ethylene production, excessive heat and time taken to cool if not chilled

will have detrimental effect. Cutflowers are sensitive to ethylene which speeds aging, hasten

ripening to fruits and yellowing on vegetables. Other sources of exogenous ethylene through

unintentionally exposure accelerate the detrimental effects.


5 | P a g e

Storage temperature range vary from product to product and specific minimum range for

flowers, fruits and vegetables should be provided separately and respectively to avoid effect by

one of the aging factors.

The picture above shows mixed load in a cold-room.

Consolidations

Consolidation refers to bringing flowers from different growers and put them together in on

shipment or load. On contrary to direct shipments, handling of consolidated boxes requires lot of

care because many exchanging hands. For instance, a box missing in our cold-store could be

off-loaded in our neighbors because of poor labelling. Proper stacking and labelling will

eliminate confusion and provide ease way for handling the consolidation.

b) Improper handling in the cold-room

Cold-room provides proper environmental needs and help market the flowers. This is the most

fundamental part in the coldchain. It is divided into offloading bay, operation bay, vacuum

cooler and dispatch bay. Major supervision is carried here to avoid deterioration as a result of

improper handling. In the cold-room;-

Hygiene is important in a cold-room and Cold-room should be: - floor water free, dust free,

ethylene free and kept at low temperature.

PASSION FRUIT

VEGETABLES+FLOWERS


6 | P a g e

The picture above shows boxes packed on the floor in the cold-room

Operation needs much supervision to avoid damaging the product (see the photo below). during

operation there is much movement, some boxes are thrown carelessly or mishandled and some

tear off, this disorient flowers inside the boxes breaking the modified environment, other

secondary deterioration arise and could lead to flowers, fruits and vegetables stress as a result of

direct contact with cold air, entry of contaminated air, entry of dusts carrying fungal disease,

entry of moisture carrying both fungal (botrytis) and flowers petal blackening

Flowers will rot and petals start to fall off.

The picture above shows damaged box due to lack of proper handling.

Stacking- proper stacking enables sufficient air circulation into the boxes therefore cooling

becomes more efficient. Boxes should be stacked wide and open, opposite evaporator and 50cm

away from the wall.


7 | P a g e

Strapping, tight strapping make it easy to palletize and reduce damages. Strapping machine

should be provided and used to strap boxes after inspection and other loosely strapped

boxes.

Figure above shows improper stacking.

c) Packaging, under-packaging and Over-packaging

Packaging should be designed to prevent physical damage to produce and be easy to handle

thereby usually carried on standard packaging materials be it flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Flowers are packed on standard boxes i.e. standard and zim boxes, fruit and vegetables are

packed in grams or kilograms but all occupy a package material of standardized volumes.

Packing rate (number of stem in a box) will determine the shape of package material, on one

hand; higher packaging rate will make the packaging material to bulge while on the other hand

low packaging rate will shrink the box and easily damaged by heavier boxes. Poor quality

packaging boxes damage easily and handling also become poor. This wills actual lead to damage

of the content, waste of space and poor handling due to forceful packaging and Over-packed

boxes tear-off easily exposing flowers to physical damage and other secondary

deteriorations, destabilizing pallet and difficult to palletize and consume large space.


8 | P a g e

Figure above show over-packed boxes destabilize the pallet, tear-off easily and are difficult to

stack.

Figure above show over-packed boxes; tear-off easily during handling


9 | P a g e

d) Handling Rejects

Fresh Cuf-lowers are rejected either during inspection or excess delivery, upon rejection these

flowers should be delivered back to farm as soon as possible. In some case, farmers delay to pick

them they are stored in the cold-room where little attention is given. Point of concern, moisture

absorption by packaging result in lose of its stacking strength, other boxes piled on top or thrown

recklessly on top and due to pressure and limited space for aeration the respiration rate goes up

and the flower start to withers slowly, as they deteriorate they release ethylene in small amount

which actual be taken by sensitive fresh flowers this will shorten the flowers vase-life.

The picture above show rejected box with flowers petal withered rot.

Figure above show rejected boxes in our cold-room


10 | P a g e

e) Loading and Transportation

Due to modernization, thanks for refrigerated truck system that allow fresh produce

transportation at low temperature. This maintains the freshness and quality of the product.

Trucks are supposed to be precooled atleast 30minutes prior to packaging and temperature

doctored to final destination. When boxes are loaded in these trucks, post-harvest handling

problems begins, most people want to overload just to ensure the truck consumes as much boxes

as possible, this affect smooth cold air circulation and difficult to maintain the required

temperature. Other external factors like weather condition and distance ofcourse contribute to

poor temperature. If trucks are overloaded, due to poor air movement, enough energy

accumulated due to respiration will deteriorate the quality and affect both shelflife and vaselife

of the fresh produce. To some extreme situation some trucks deliver flowers without

refrigeration. Some boxes arrive when total deformed as a result of poor loading.

Figure above show Improper loading and box deformed at arrival

f) Temperature/Relative Humidity.

Temperature is the most important environmental factor that influences the deterioration of

harvested commodities. Most perishable horticultural commodities have an optimal shelf-life at

temperatures of approximately 0 °C. The rate of deterioration of perishables however increases

two to three-fold with every 10 °C increase in temperature.


11 | P a g e

Temperature is integral part of coldchain management because the retardation of metabolic

processes for preservation of the harvested quality of fresh produce. Low temperatures must be

provided and has many advantages to extend vaselife/shelflife by;

• reducing respiration and internal breakdown by enzymes

• reducing water loss and wilting

• slowing the growth of disease organisms

• reducing the production of ethylene

• providing “time” for proper handling, packaging and marketing.

Temperatures either above or below the optimal range for fresh produce can cause rapid

deterioration due to the following disorders:

Freezing injury. Perishable commodities are generally high in water content, and possess large,

highly vacuolated cells. The freezing point of their tissues is relatively high (ranging from -3 °C

to -0.5 °C), and disruption caused by freezing generally results in immediate collapse of their

tissues and a total loss of cellular integrity. Freezing occurs in cold storage systems either due to

inadequate refrigerator design, or to thermostat failure.

Chilling injury: Some commodities respond unfavorably to storage at low temperatures which

are well above their freezing points, but below a critical temperature termed their chilling

threshold temperature or lowest safe temperature. Chilling injury is manifested in a variety of

symptoms including surface and internal discoloration, water soaking, failure to ripen, uneven

ripening, development of off flavors and heightened susceptibility to pathogen attack.

Heat injury High temperature conditions are also injurious to perishable crops. Transpiration is

vital to maintaining optimal growth temperatures in growing plants. Organs removed from the

plant, however, lack the protective effects of transpiration, and direct sources of heat, such as

sunlight, can rapidly elevate the temperature of tissues to above the thermal death point of their

cells, leading to localized bleaching, necrosis (sunburn or sunscald) or general collapse.


12 | P a g e

Relative humidity (RH) is defined as the moisture content (as water vapor) of the atmosphere,

expressed as a percentage of the amount of moisture that can be retained by the atmosphere

(moisture holding capacity) at a given temperature and pressure without condensation. The

moisture holding capacity of air increases with temperature. Water loss is directly proportional to

the vapor pressure difference (VPD) between the commodity and its environment. VPD is

inversely related to the RH of the air surrounding the commodity. RH can influence water loss,

decay development, the incidence of some physiological disorders, and uniformity of fruit

ripening. Condensation of moisture on the commodity (sweating) over long periods of time is

probably more important in enhancing decay than is the RH of ambient air. An appropriate RH

range for storage of fruits is 85 to 95 percent while that for most vegetables varies between 90

and 98 percent. The optimal RH range for dry onions and pumpkins is 70 to 75 percent. Some

root vegetables, such as carrot, parsnip, and radish, can best be held at 95 to 100 percent RH.

RH can be controlled by one or more of the following procedures:

Regulating air movement and ventilation in relation to the produce load in the cold storage

room;

Maintaining the temperature of the refrigeration coils in the storage room or transit vehicle to

within about 1 °C of the air temperature; providing moisture barriers that insulate walls of

storage rooms and transit vehicles;

Adding polyethylene liners in packing containers and using perforated polymeric films for

packaging;

Wetting floor weaken boxes and raise relative humidity.


13 | P a g e

Regular checking of our refrigeration system will consistently help to control the detrimental

humidity level for purpose of avoiding disease occurrence. Also fault refrigerator will be

detected and be rectified immediately. See the picture below

Box wetted by fault refrigerator above.

Following Recommendation will help to improving coldroom performance.

Flowers, fruits and vegetables should be stored separately and avoid stacking or

palletizing them together. In case where space is limited it is crucial to keep the products

few meters apart.

Proper handling; requires proper supervision, correct stacking and palletizing and

adequate cooling.

Training product handlers allows working under minimal supervision and reduces

damages.

Rejected flowers should be stored separately and should not be mixed with others to

avoid confusion, require labelling and as well be removed from coldroom soon as

possible.

Ensure correct packaging-rate since it saves space, ease handling and palletizing.

There is need for effective temperature monitoring to keep the freshness.

Trucks should be loaded properly and temperature to be doctored.

Some trucks also require pallet on the floor to enhance air flow and flowers should

always be transported under refrigerated roof.


14 | P a g e

The necessity to solve the above problem becomes a basis for proposal to introduce Quality

assurance personnel with post-harvest handling knowledge and quality management system.

The key role played by quality assurance is stated below.

Quality assurance

The activities assure technical and quality parameters to ensure shelflife, saleability and

improving coldroom performance. Coldchain assessments ensure: - Proper equipment settings,

Product conformity, and handling protocols (ISO 14000 for Environment and GMPs, HACCP,

ISO22000 for food safety, ISO 9000 for Quality Management) are implemented; these protocols

are inter alia based on client specifications and the importing country's requirements. This results

in the reduction of claims but most importantly safety and quality assurance of the produce is

maintained. Consistent product quality builds confidence in perishable product handling.

Quality assurance will play fundamental role as follows;-

1) Improvement

Quality assurance managers review statistical data from the production lines to identify quality

problems. They analyze the data and recommend changes to quality controls to eliminate the

problem. They also analyze records of product returns to identify specific problems or trends

over time.

Quality assurance managers develop and monitor continuous improvement programs, aiming to

reduce the number of defects and improve levels of quality. Continuous quality improvement

reduces operation costs and improves overall product quality.

2) Suppliers

Suppliers of components and materials play an important part in a company’s quality process.

Quality assurance managers work with suppliers to help formulate quality standards for the

goods.


15 | P a g e

This ensures that incoming components and materials will comply with the manufacturer’s

quality standards, minimizes the time and cost of inspection, and contributes to the quality of the

finished product.

3) Training

Quality assurance managers provide training in best practices, managing their own quality

standards; promote a culture of quality and runs awareness. When companies develop new

products, quality assurance managers work with the product development team to establish

quality standards. Manager will pinpoint relevant quality-related training needs

4) Process

Documented processes and policies are essential to quality assurance. Managers prepare and

update quality documentation, basing their processes on a recognized standard such as ISO 9000

– Quality Management, published by the International Organization for Standardization. If

companies must comply with customers’ quality standards or gain accreditation to a standard,

such as ISO 9000, managers must develop appropriate processes and train employees in

preparation for a quality audit.

5) Report to top management on the performance of the QMS and any need for

improvement

6) Liaise with the external assessment body on all matters related to the external

accreditation process.

7) Efficient temperature monitoring.

8) Exchange quality-related information between the different actors-increase requirements

on safety and quality and demand for more transparency for production chain and post-

harvest management.


16 | P a g e

Criteria for the Selection of Appropriate Post-Harvest Technologies.

The basic recommendations for maintaining postharvest quality and safety of produce are the

same regardless of the distribution system(direct marketing, local marketing and export

marketing) however, the level of technology needed to provide the recommended conditions

varies in accordance with the distance and time between production and consumption sites, the

intended use of the produce(fresh vs processing) and the target market.in situations where the

points of sale is not only a matter of hours away from the site of harvest, careful harvesting and

handling and the observance of proper sanitation practices are adequate measures for assuring

the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables targeted for the fresh market. Pre-cooling,

refrigeration and packaging however becomes essential when produce must be moved over long

distance. The following should be considered when selecting appropriate post-harvest

technologies.

A. Appropriate local conditions should be adopted and used by the need to economize

labour, materials and energy use and to protect the environment.

B. Expensive equipment and facilities are useless without proper management. Furthermore

overinvestment in handling facilities can result in economic loses, if consumers in the

target market are unable to absorb these added costs.

Proper education of all stakeholders along the post-harvest chain (growers, handlers and

those involved in marketing) is more critical than the level of sophistications of the

equipment used in the post-harvest handling. Effective training and supervision of

personnel must therefore be an integral part of quality and safety assurance programs.

C. Commodity requirements can be met through the use of simple and inexpensive methods

in many cases. Proper temperature management procedures for examples

Include:

a) Protection from exposure to the sun

b) harvesting during cooler periods of the day

c) adequate ventilations in container

d) use of simple and inexpensive cooling procedures such as evaporative cooling and

e) expedited handling of fresh produce


17 | P a g e

D. Mechanical injuries are major causes of loses in the quality and quantity of fresh

horticultural commodities in all handling systems. The incidence and severity of

mechanical injury can be greatly minimized by reducing the number of steps involved in

harvesting and handling and by educating all personnel involved about the need for

careful handling.

E. Assuring food safety throughout the post-harvest handling system is very critical to

successful marketing of produce and should be given the highest priority.

F. Solving the post-harvest technology problems in a given country necessitates cooperation

and effective communication among research and extensions. Post-harvest horticulturist’s

therefore4 need to coordinate their efforts and to cooperate with productions

horticulturists, agricultural marketing economist, engineers, food technologist,

microbiologist and other who may be involved in various of the marketing system. In

most cases solution to existing problems in the most postharvest handling system require

the use of existing information rather than new research. The following is proposed

programs for improving the post-harvest handling system in developing country:

1) Survey the magnitude and causes of loses in quality and quantity during harvesting

and postharvest handling of major commodities.

2) Survey available tools and facilities for harvesting, packing and packaging, transport,

storage and marketing of each commodity in the region of production and during

season of production.

3) Evaluate the impact of simple modifications in the handling system (such as stage of

harvesting, method of harvesting, type of container and quality sorting) on quality and

safety maintenance.

4) Extend information on recommended harvesting and handling procedures to all those

who can use it. All appropriate extension methods for audience should be used.

5) Identify problems which require further research, conduct the needed research and

extend any new information when completed to those who can use it.


18 | P a g e

Conclusion Following my observation and professional point of view, I have used the existing information

and literature in proper post-harvest management, cold-chain management, and quality

management to compile this report and give possible suggestion that will significantly improve

the performance in our expansive flower logistic business besides, we have achieved to reduce

the high packaging-rate and we consistently need to maintain monitoring and effective

supervision to ensure correct packaging-rate which is a component of quality measure however,

it will be important to introduce other quality parameters that will ensure the entire quality

assurance program is taken care of.

Summary Flowerwatch plays a role in Quality Control and Reporting, Cool Chain Monitoring; Vase Life

Test, Training, Audits and Consultancy to improve cold-room performance however, they can

co-ordinate well with internal quality assurance personnel (role stated above) to ensure a

significant coldroom performance is achieved on regular basis and also ensure company

compliance with international coldchain management standards for the audit purposes.

Following the previous month cold-room performance audit report, quality assurance manager

will use records to put up corrective measures and ensure implementations that will see improved

performance in the cold-room ahead of new facility in co-ordination with supervisor,

maintenance team and project manager. See the Flowerwatch cold-room performance for April

20141721.pdf

Portfolio

20141721.pdf


19 | P a g e

Poorly loaded trucks deform the package boxes.

Deformed boxes on arrival because of improper loading..

Fault refrigerator wetting the product.

Wet boxes in the cold-store


20 | P a g e

Wet pallet from vacuum cooler

The picture above shows improper stacking

The picture above shows improper handling in the cold-room; affect the quality of the

product and cause mechanical injury.


21 | P a g e

The figure above shows mixed load for fruits, vegetable and flowers that may

compromise the quality and storage conditions.

The figure above show Rejected flowers left over beyond expected time and their heads

withering in the coldroom


22 | P a g e

The figure above shows Rejected boxes in the cold-room.

The figure above shows over-packed boxes with high packaging-rate making it difficult

to handle, stack and palletisize.


23 | P a g e

The picture above show lack of proper strapping

The picture above shows a pallet with poor quality boxes the collapse when stacking

because low stacking strength making it difficult to palletise.


24 | P a g e

References

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 1981. Food loss prevention in

perishable crops. Rome: FAO Agricultural Series Bulletin 43, 72 pp.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 1985. Prevention of postharvest

food losses: A training manual. Rome: FAO Training Series 10. 120 pp.

Gorny, J.R., ed. 2001. Food safety guidelines for the fresh-cut produce industry. Fourth edition.

Alexandria, VA: International Fresh-cut Produce Association. 218 pp.

Hardenburg, R.E., A.E. Watada, and C.Y Wang. 1986. The commercial storage of fruits,

vegetables, and florist and nursery stocks. USDA Agricultural Handbook 66, 130 pp. (A draft

version of the new edition that will be published in 2004 is available at the following internet

site: http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/hb66/index.html)

International Institute of Refrigeration. 1995. Guide to refrigerated transport. Paris,

France: IIR, 150 pp.

International Institute of Refrigeration. 2000. Recommendations for chilled storage of

perishable produce. Paris, France: IIR, 219 pp.

Kader, A.A., ed. 2001. CA Bibliography (1981-2000) and CA Recommendations

(2001), CD. Davis: University of California, Post-harvest Technology Center, Postharvest

Horticulture Series No. 22 (The CA Recommendations, 2001 portion is also available in printed

format as Post-harvest Horticulture Series No. 22A).

Internet resource.

http://www.fao.org/inpho/: Postharvest information site of the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations.

http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu: University of California Postharvest Research and Information

Center.

http://www.jifsan.umd.edu/gaps.html: U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Manual On

“Improving the Safety and Quality of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”.

http://www.ams.usda.gov: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service

information on quality standards, transportation, and marketing.

analysis and proposal

Documents

Transcript of analysis and proposal