FRUITS & VEGETABLES

CONTENTS
PRODUCT CATEGORY QUALITY ATTRIBUTES CAUSES FOR POOR QUALITY STORAGE CONDITIONS

PRINCIPALS FOR - STORAGE - TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH AND HYGIENE

Product Category
1)Root vegetables 2) Leaf vegetables 3) Flower vegetables

4) Immature fruit vegetables

5) Mature fruit produce

6) Citrus Fruits

Root vegetables

POTATOES GINGER

Leaf vegetables
CABBAGE LETTUCE

CAULIFLOWER

Flower vegetables

Immature Fruit Vegetables

CUCUMBER

CAPSICUM GREEN

EGG PLANT

MARROW

Mature fruit produce

TOMATOES GRAPES

MELONS

MANGOES BANANAS APPLES

PLUM RED

PINEAPPLE

Citrus Fruits

naval orange

Valencia orange

Quality attributes
Quality attributes of fresh fruits and vegetables can be classified into three classes according to the occurrence of product characteristics when they are encountered: 1) External 2) Internal 3) Hidden (wholeness, nutritive value & Food safety) We are concerned of only internal and external attributes.
Class of Attribute: External Quality Attribute: Appearance (sight) Feel ( Touch) Defects Class of Attribute: Internal Quality Attribute: Odour Taste Texture

APPLES

POTATOES

TOMATOES

ORANGES

MANGO

BANANAS APPLES

GRAPES
CARROTS

CUCUMBER

MELON

LETTUCE

BROCCOLI

CABBAGE

CAUSES FOR POOR QUALITY OF FRUITS AND VEG

Fresh fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities that can easily spoil or deteriorate during produce handling along the supply chain from the producer to the final retailer. All fruits and vegetables are living parts of plants containing 65 to 95 per cent water. They continue their life metabolisms after harvest and thus change their characteristics depending on product handling, storage and treatment. The following table presents an overview of the main causes of post-harvest losses for different groups of fruits and vegetables.

STORAGE CONDITIONS: Temperature All fruits and vegetables have a 'critical temperature' below which undesirable and irreversible reactions or 'chill damage' takes place. Carrots for example blacken and become soft, and the cell structure of potatoes is destroyed. The storage temperature always has to be above this critical temperature. Table below gives the critical temperatures for various fruits and vegetables.

CRITICAL TEMPERATURE (FRUITS) TEMP in C APPLE ORANGE PEARS 0-4 0-4 0 CRITICAL TEMPERATURE (VEG) TEMP in C Carrots Cabbage Cauliflower Cucumber Tomatoes 0 0 0 10 - 13 13 - 12

SHELF LIFE (Information)

GROUP A ( 0 - 4 C) Shelf Life Days Fruits Apples 12 Grapes 10 Kiwi fruit 10 Veg Cabbage 14 Carrots 14 Cauliflower 10 Lettuce 10 Spinach 10 GROUP B ( 5 - 10 C) Shelf Life Days Fruits Grapes 15 Lemon/Lime 10 Mango 7 Oranges 10 Pineapple 10 Veg Peppers 12 Eggplant 3-4 Beans 7 Okra 7

GROUP B ( 10 - 13 C) Shelf Life Days Fruits Bananas 10 Watermelon 10 Veg Onions 30 Potatoes 30 Sweet Potatoes 14 Tomatoes 10

General Principles for Storage of Fruits and Vegetables

Storage must be clean, dry & free of trash

Rodents and pests should not exist

storage areas are to be kept free of chemicals

All chambers should have accurate recorded temperature

Storage instructions to be strictly followed

Always clean pallets, containers and boxes before use

General Principles for Transportation of Fruits and Vegetables

Inspect transportation vehicles and trailers for cleanliness before loading A container should be sanitized after each load

Maintain proper temperature to ensure produce quality and safety.

 Make sure that produce is loaded carefully in order to minimize Allow for proper air circulation within the transportation unit by proper Stacking.

EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND HYGIENE Availability of First aid kits mandatory. Employees with exposed wound should not come in contact with the stock.

Proper hand washing

Proper personal hygiene

showering

Clipping Nails

Shaving

Wearing of clean cloths and hairnets

Sick workers Workers showing signs of sickness (e.g. diarrhoea, vomiting, dizziness, fever, abdominal cramps) should not come in direct contact with stocks.

Drinking water

Ensuring workers free access to proper drinking water prevents diseases and eventual contamination risks.

QUESTIONS?????