1 Postharvest Losses and Causes Flashcards
What are the 7 stages of the PH chain?
1) harvesting
2) preparation/packaging
3) cold storage CA/MA
4) transportation/distribution
5) retailing
6) home prep
7) consumption
the harvesting process is considered a:
noble act
explain why harvesting is a noble act
- chop heads of cabbage
- cut hands of bananas
- slash trunk of sugar cane
- pull ears of corn
- lift roots of carrots
- snap vines of beans
basically we yeet the life out of plants
characterize harvest
- separation of a plant part from the mother plant
- beginning of deteriorative process
source of loss at producer level
field and preparatory losses
source of loss at transport level
spoilage, bruising, breakage, leakage
source of loss at pre-processing level
rejects, cull, selection/grading
source of loss at storage level
insects, molds, bacteria, rodents, birds, sprouting, rancidity, overripening
source of loss at processing/packaging level
inefficiency, excessive peeling, trimming and polishing
source of loss at marketing level
unsafe foods, quality losses
what are the characteristics of “durables?” (6)
- low moisture content
- small unit size
- very low respiration, low generation of heat
- hard texture, not easily damaged
- stable, natural shelf-life of several years
- losses mainly caused by external agents
what are the characteristics of “perishables?” (6)
- high moisture content
- large unit size
- high to very high respiration rate, heat production high
- soft texture, easily damaged
- perishable shelf-life a few days to several months at best
- losses caused partly by external agents and partly by endogenous factors (respiration, senescence and sprouting)
where does loss occur?
- harvesting, handling
- storage, packing
- transportation
- marketing
- home storage/consumption
ways to avoid losses?
- grow more food
- understand factors causing losses
how to grow more food?
- cultivate more land
- intensify agriculutral production
- high density planting
- use of modern tools
- use of grown promoters
- use new varieties and fertilizers
- GMOs
what are 6 advantages of reducing PH losses?
- nutritional
- deconomic incentive
- feedback incentive
- Cost-effective
- environmentally friendly
- consumer satisfaction
what are the 7 primary causes of post harvest losses?
- biological/microbio
- chemical/biochem
- mechanical
- physical
- physiological
- psychological
- foreign substances
list examples of biological/microbio losses
consumption/damage by insects, pests, animals, and microorgs
list examples of chemical/biochemical losses
undesirable rxns between chemical compounds present in the food like browning, rancidity, enzymatic and chemical changes
list examples of mechanical losses
spillage and damages caused by abrasion, bruising, crushing, puncturing, etc.
list examples of physical losses
improper environmental and storage conditions (temp, RH, air speed, light)
list examples of physiological losses
sprouting, senescence, respiration and transpiration
list examples of psychological losses
human aversion/refusal due to personal/religious reasons
list an example of loss due to foreign substances
contamination
what are the secondary causes of losses (5)
- improper harvesting and handling
- inadequate storage facilities
- inadequate transportation
- inadequate refrigeration
- inadequate marketing system
what are 7 produce-related causes of PH spoilage?
- respiration
- transpiration
- ethylene production
- compositional changes
- growth and dev
- physiological breakdown
- other factors (bruising microbial)
what are the 5 keys to success in PH handling of fruits and veggies
- initial quality
- maturity at harvest
- careful handling at harvest to minimize physical damage
- proper management of env conditions
- proper sanitation
