Postharvest Technology

Postharvest Technology
• A practical science.
• Primarily deals with Perishable Commodities.
• Postharvest = After Harvest
• Concerned with the harvest of the crop
(when & how to harvest; maturity standards).
• Also in pre-harvest factors (seed source, rootstock,
etc.)
because they strongly influence postharvest
quality.
The fruit quality is set during growth.
• Ultimately, the maximal
product quality is determined
at harvest.
Postharvest Losses
 The Postharvest Goals
• Harvest the product at its optimum maturity.
• Maintain the product’s internal and external quality
throughout packing, storage and distribution.
It is Alive during this process!
• Deliver the vegetables to consumers at the time and in a
form (e.g. ripe, cut up, etc.) that they will purchase it.
 Historical background
Early postharvest practices:
• Dried fruits, vegetables, meats, pickles, etc.
• Fermentation of juices.
• Salting or smoking.
All these methods KILL the product!

It is easier to transport and store the products.

 Historical Background
Early Storage Practices:
• Basket making developed by 7,000 B.C.
• Underground pits and silos by 9,000 B.C.
Silos were the major means of long term storage by Roman
times.
• Roman era – modified atmosphere storage of grains.
• 1803- Ice refrigeration developed.
• 1855- mechanical refrigeration was invented.
 Historical Background
• 1872 - ice refrigerated rail cars were common.
• 1889 - ammonia refrigeration was widely used to make ice.
• 1928 - mechanical refrigerated displays used in retail stores.
• 1927 - Controlled atmosphere studies begun.
• 1929 - Commercial CA storage built in England.
 Historical Background
Postharvest issues became important when cities developed:
• The Industrial Revolution (18th century).
• The Problem:
How to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables from areas of
production to areas of consumption and keeping their quality?

All fresh produce is alive

↓
The Challenge is to Keep Healthy Until Consumed!
 World-Wide Perspective
• World population has reached almost 7 billion.
• Technological advances have helped to feed much of the
world (e.g. China, India & Brazil).
• Many parts of the world still in need.
Western style, capitol intensive methods often not suitable
for an area.
 World-Wide Perspective
Food distribution is a major worldwide problem:
• Urbanization expected to continue at a greater rate in
developing countries.
• Produce grown in these areas are the least
studied.
Worldwide production (2001):
• Cereals (durable food goods) = ~2.1 billion MT.
• Fruits, Vegetables, Roots & Tubers =~1.8 billion MT.
 Overlap of world hunger and world poverty

of population %
earn less than
1.25 $ per day

of population %
undernourished
 World overall production of
vegetables and fruits (1000 tones)
1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

0
1994- 1999- 2005 2006 2007
1996 2001

vegetables fruits
FAO Statistical Yearbook 2009
 The importance of postharvest
Million tons fruits and vegetables
1600
1400 The increase of vegetables
1200
1000
and fruit production:
800 • Population growth.
600
400 • Higher standard of
200 living.
0
1970 1980 1990 1994 • Awareness for
Africa Asia nutritional value of food.
South/Central America USA/Canada
Europe Oceania
India: No 3 of the world fruit and
Fruit and vegetable vegetables producer. About 50% of
production increased the products deteriorates until
reaching the consumer.
by 44%
Therefore, consumption is low and
between 1970 to 1994 prices are high.
 The importance of Postharvest
Million tons fruits and vegetables
without root crops
1000

800
Fruit and vegetable
production
600 increased by 75%
400 between 1970 to 1994
200 not including roots(
)and tubers
0
1970 1980 1990 1994

Africa Asia China and India produce

South/Central America USA/Canada
Europe Oceania
30% of the world fruits
and vegetables.
 Characteristics of Perishable
Commodities
Compared to grains:
• More subject to deterioration after harvest
(shelf life days to months vs. > 1yr).
• Relatively larger in size (up to 5 kg vs. < 1g).
• Soft textured.
• Higher water content (70 to 90% vs. 10 to 20%).
• Higher respiration and heat production.
 Estimated Postharvest Losses
very rough estimates are available:
• 5 to 25% in developed countries.
• 20 to 50% in developing countries.
• In the US, a large portion of loss occurs at the consumer.

Loss of product
is much more than
just the cost of the commodity
 The other losses
• Energy & labor loss (e.g. during packinghouse operations).
• Loss of materials (e.g. packaging).
• Cost of waste disposal.
• Loss of food value (e.g. nutrients).
• Loss of organoleptic quality:
Color changes
Water loss
Carbohydrate changes.
Volatile changes
Breakdown of proteins, cell wall components, softening, etc.
 Causes of Postharvest Loss
Internal Factors:
• Respiration.
• Compositional changes.
• Morphological changes.
• Physiological disorders.
• General senescence.
 Causes of Postharvest Loss
Environmental Factors:
• Temperature
• Physical damage
• Pathogens
• Relative humidity
• Atmospheric composition
• Light
• Gravity
• Rodents and other animals
• Contamination
!Perishable Commodities are still alive

They consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide

Sugar+ O2
↓

Energy + CO2 + Water + Heat

 Respiration and Shelf Life
Respiration rate and shelf life are inversely related.

Higher respiration
↓
Shorter Shelf Life
 Temperature & Respiration
• Temperature is the most important factor influencing the
postharvest life of the given commodity.
• Temperature dictates the speed of chemical reactions
including respiration.
• Typically, for every increase of 10oC, the respiration
increases between 2 and 4 fold.
 The affect of temperature

The affect of temperature on broccoli after 48 hr of storage

at either room temperature or in cold storage

24oC 4oC
Postharvest compositional changes
• Water loss
• Nutrients
• Vitamins
• Antioxidants
• Starch to Sugar to Starch
 Water Loss
Water Loss resulting a direct loss of saleable weight as well
as quality loss:
• Appearance quality - wilting, shriveling, and accelerated
development of injuries.
• Textural quality – loss of crispness, juiciness, etc.
• Nutritional quality – e.g. vitamins A & C.

Rate of water loss influenced by:

• Environmental factors – e.g. relative humidity.
• Anatomical factors – stomates, hairs, etc.
 Postharvest Morphological Changes
• Horticultural commodities are living products and
sometimes are still growing. Therefore, they often continue
development in ways that sometimes reduce quality.
Changes include:
• Sprouting (onions, tubers, root crops)
• Rooting (onions, root crops)
• Elongation & Curvature (asparagus, gladiolus)
• Seed Germination (lemon, tomato, pepper)
 Postharvest Physiological Disorders
A tissue damage or breakdown which not related to
pathogens, insects or mechanical damage.
Temperatures
• chilling injury, freezing injury or High temperature injury.
Altered atmospheric gas concentrations.
• Low O2 or Elevated CO2.
Nutrition
• As calcium deficiency or boron toxicity.
 Chilling Injury

• Physiological injury to some commodities held at

temperatures above freezing.
• Susceptible crops include:

Sapote Mango Avocado

Cucumber Olive Banana
Eggplant Okra Papaya Cherimoya
Pepper Passion fruit Citrus
Sweet Potato Pineapple Feijoa
Tomato Plantain Guava
Pomegranate Jujube
 Chilling Injury
• Occurs mainly in commodities from subtropical & tropical
origins.
• Injury caused by exposing fruit to above freezing, between
about (5 to 15 oC).
• Injury becomes more noticeable after transferring to non-
chilling temperatures (shelf life).
 Chilling Injury
Symptoms:
• Surface pitting
• Discoloration (external/internal)
• Water-soaked areas
• Necrotic areas
• Greater susceptibility to decay
• More…
Causes of Postharvest Loss
Environmental Factors

Light Temperature
Gravity Physical damage
Rodents and Pathogens
other animals
Contamination Relative humidity

Atmospheric
Composition
 Temperature
• Mentioned above with respiration
and physiological disorders.
• Temperature greatly effects water
loss.
• Lower temperature also slows
pathogen development.
 Physical Damage
• Causes the greatest amount of loss to fresh horticultural
products.
Physical Damage Affects:
• Respiration, ethylene production, ripening, and other
metabolic processes.
• Pathogen growth and ability to invade tissue.
• Tissue discoloration.
 Pathology (decay)

• Fungi (major), bacteria and viruses.

• Preharvest (latent) and postharvest infections.
• Most postharvest infections are a result of
rupturing the epidermis of the commodity.
 Relative Humidity
• Higher relative humidity slows water loss from the commodity.
• High relative humidities (95 to 100%) might weaken the
cartons.
• Free moisture stimulates pathogen development.

15%
10%

5%
 Atmospheric Composition
Modified or Controlled Atmospheres:
Modified Atmospheres (MA):
• Altering the normal gas composition surrounding a commodity
(e.g. raising or lowering O2 or CO2 concentrations).
• Passive. The commodity is placed in a gas impermeable
container and the crop’s respiration consumes (lowers) O2 and
gives off (increases) CO2.
Controlled Atmospheres (CA):
• Same as MA, except gas concentrations are actively
regulated using special equipment.
 Modified Atmospheres - Advantages

• Slows down respiration and other

metabolic processes
(ripening & senescence).
• Reduces sensitivity to ethylene
(at < 8% O2 or >1% CO2.
• Reduces development of some
physiological disorders
(chilling injury).
• May inhibit pathogen development.
• Can be used to kill insects.
 Modified Atmospheres - Disadvantages
• Can cause or exacerbate some physiological disorders
(black heart in potatoes).
• Can cause irregular ripening.
• Can result in off-flavors or odors if anaerobic respiration
occurs.
• Any MA or CA related injuries stimulate pathogen
development.
• May delay periderm development and stimulate sprouting
in root or tuber crops.
 Causes of Postharvest Loss
Environmental Factors:
• Light- Color and morphological changes (potato greening).
• Gravity- Morphological changes (bending).
• Rodents and other animals.
• Contamination (food safety).
 Postharvest
Commercial Considerations
Preharvest factors:
• Cultivars.
• Nutrition and Water effects.
• Weather conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity)
• Field sanitation (both for decay & human pathogens).
Harvesting:
• Best time to harvest for fresh, processing, storage?
Preliminary grading in the field:
• Remove unmarketable produce ASAP.
 Postharvest
Commercial Considerations
Packing operations:
• Washing, sorting, sizing, grading, waxing, and more.
• Each step costs, therefore use only if increases value of the
crop.
Packaging:
• Protects the product, reduces water loss, organize the product,
excludes light & communicates information.
• Must be economic, able to support stacking, allow ventilation
(cooling), facilitate recycling or disposal at destination markets.
 Postharvest
Commercial Considerations
Postharvest Maturation:
• Ethylene degreening or ripening.
• Curing.
Rapid cooling:
• Air cooling
• Room
• Forced-air
• Hydrocooling
• Ice Cooling
(Top icing, Liquid ice injection)
• Vacuum Cooling
 Postharvest
Commercial Considerations
Storage:
• increases the cost of the product.
• Critical accuracy of temperature and RH%.
• CA or MA storage.
Transportation:
• By water – inexpensive but slow.
• Trains – more expensive but faster.
• Truck – predominant method. Fast & reliable.
• Air – Fastest, expensive, & inconsistent scheduling and
temperature control.
 Postharvest
Commercial Considerations
Marketing:
• Identify markets and qualities desired.
• Entire process to deliver what the consumer will buy.
Retailing:
• Educate the retailer how to handle your commodity.
• Continuation of temperature, RH and sanitation chain.
?QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY .1
?TO OUR ECONOMY

DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPIRATION TO THE .2

.COMMODITIES SHELF LIFE

DISCUSS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OLD .3

POSTHARVEST PRACTICES TO OUR NEW POSTHARVEST
TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES TODAY

WHAT CHANGES BROUGHT BY INDUSTRIALIZATION TO .4

.THE POSTHARVEST PRACTICES TODAY