CPT 2803

HANDLING & PROCESSING OF CROP

PRODUCTS

LECTURE 3

LOSS OF POST - HARVEST YIELD

(KEHILANGAN HASIL LEPAS TUAI)
INTRODUCTION

Harvest & Post-Harvest

Factors Contributing to Loss of Post-Harvest Yield
Ways to Minimize Loss of Post-Harvest Yield
RECAP FROM PREVIOUS LECTURE
 Pre-harvest – before harvest
 Harvest – the process of period of gathering in crops
 Post-harvest – after harvest

Postharvest management starts with pre-harvest managements. Once the fruits are
harvested, the overall quality of fresh fruits can hardly be improved but it can be
maintained.
The final market value of the produce and acceptance by the consumers depends
upon the grower’s ability to apply best available pre-harvest technology followed by
harvesting and then to apply best available postharvest handling practices.
RECAP FROM PREVIOUS LECTURE
Food quality attributes
 Sight
 Appearance, Color, Gloss, Shape, Size, Defects
 Touch
 Texture, Hand or Finger feel
 Smell And Taste
 Flavour, Odor, Taste
 Hidden Attributes
 Nutritive value
INTRODUCTION - HARVEST
Harvest – Important Factors

 Maturity at Harvest
 Maturity at harvest is the most important determinant of storage life and final
produced quality.
 Immature produced are highly susceptible to shrivelling and mechanical
damage  inferior quality.
 Hence, fruits and vegetables are harvest at proper stage of maturity.
INTRODUCTION - HARVEST
Harvest – Important Factors

Harvest Time
 Quality is depends on timing the harvest correctly for most vegetables.
 Size, flavor, tenderness, texture and color can all be influenced by harvest
timing.
 E.g: tomatoes to be shipped must be harvested at “mature green” or as
“breaker” but usually no post the “pink stages” tomatoes for direct sales can
be harvested when ripe.
INTRODUCTION - HARVEST

Harvest – Important Factors

 Harvest Method
 Methods of harvesting (hand vs. mechanical) can significantly affect the
composition and post-harvest quality of fruits and vegetables.
 Mechanical injuries (such as surface abrasions and cuts) can accelerate loss of
water and vitamin C
resulting in all increased susceptibility to decay-causing pathogens.
INTRODUCTION
POST HARVEST LOSS
 A considerable amount of fruits and vegetables produced in some
countries (e.g. India) is lost due to improper post-harvest operations
 as a result there is a considerable gap between the gross production and net
availability.
 Losses occur after harvesting is known as post-harvest losses.
Grading
wholesale
From the After & In Trans-
& retail
field Harvest packing Storage portation
markets
area
 Several losses occur because of poor facilities, lack of know-how, poor
management, market dysfunction or simply the carelessness of farmers.
INTRODUCTION - POST HARVEST LOSS

Biological, Microbiological,
PRIMARY CAUSE
Biochemical reaction, Chemical,
causes that directly affect the
food
Physical, Mechanical,
Physiological, Psychological
POST
HARVEST
LOSS
SECONDARY CAUSE
Knowledge & Management,
conditions that encourage a
primary cause of loss Facility & Infrastructure
PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

PHYSICA
L CHEMICAL
MICROBIOLOGICAL

BIOCHEMICA
L REACTION
MECHANICA
L
PRIMARY
CAUSE OF
POST-HARVEST
LOSS

PSYCHOLOGICAL
PHYSIOLOGICAL

BIOLOGICAL
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 BIOLOGICAL CAUSE
• Consumption of food by rodents, birds, monkeys and other large animals causes direct
disappearance of food.
• Contamination level of food by the excreta, hair and feathers of animals and birds is
sometimes so high that the food is condemned for human consumption.
• Insects cause both weight losses through consumption of the food and quality losses
because of their frass, webbing, excreta, heating, and unpleasant odours that they can
impart to food.
Frass – powdery refuse produced by wood-boring insects; excrement of insect larvae
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 MICROBIOLOGICAL CAUSE
• Damage to stored foods by fungi and bacteria.
• Microorganisms usually directly consume small amount e of the food but they damage
the food to the point that it becomes unaCceptable because of rotting or other defects.
• Toxic substances elaborated by fungi (known as mycotoxins), cause some food to be
condemned and lost.
• Examples of mycotoxins:
• Aflatoxin (a liver carcinogen) - by the mold Aspergillus flavus.
• Patulin - found in some processed apple and pear products. Formed by rotting fungus
such as Penicillium expansum which infect fresh apples before they are processed.
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 CHEMICAL CAUSE
• Many of the chemical constituents naturally present in stored foods spontaneously
react causing lose of colour, flavour, texture and nutritional value.
• An example is the Maillard’s reaction that cause browning and discolouration in fruits
and vegetables.
• There can also be accidental or deliberate contamination of food with harmful
chemicals such as pesticides or obnoxious chemicals ouch as lubricating oil
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 CAUSED BY BIOCHEMICAL REACTION

• A number of enzyme-activated reactions can occur in foods in storage giving rise to
oft-flavours, discolouration and softening.
• Example of problem caused by biochemical reaction - the unpleasant flavours that
develop in frozen vegetables that have not been blanched to inactivate these enzymes
before freezing.

Blanch – prepare vegetables for freezing or further cooking by immersing briefly in

boiling water
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 MECHANICAL CAUSE
• Bruising, cutting' excessive pooling or trimming of horticultural products are causes of
loss.

 PHYSICAL CAUSE
• Excessive or insufficient heat or cold can spoil foods. Improper atmosphere in closely
confined storage at times causes losses.
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSE
• Natural respiratory losses which occur in all living organisms account for a significant
level of weight lose and' moreover, the process generates heat.
• Changes which occur during ripening, senescence, including wilting, and termination
of dormancy (e.g., sprouting) may increase the susceptibility of the commodity to
mechanical damage or infection by pathogens.
• A reduction in nutritional level and consumer acceptance may also arise with these
changes. Production of ethylene results in premature ripening of certain crops.
 PRIMARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CAUSES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE FOOD OR PRODUCE

 PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSE

• Human aversion, such as "I don’t feel like eating that (fruit/vegetable) today".
• In some cases food will not be eaten because of religious taboos.

Aversion – strong dislike or disinclination (reluctant or unwillingness to do something)

 SECONDARY CAUSE - POST HARVEST LOSS
DEFINITION – CONDITIONS THAT ENCOURAGE A PRIMARY CAUSE OF LOSS

KNOWLEDGE & MANAGEMENT FACILITY / INFRASTRUCTURE

• Lack of infrastructure.
• Lack of clear concept of packing house
• Inadequate technical support.
operations.
• Wide gap in technologies available and
• Lack of awareness among the growers,
in trend.
contractors and even the policy makers.
• Absence of pre-cooling and cold storage.
• Late realization of its importance.
• inadequate market facilities, market
• Inadequate post-harvest quality control.
intelligence and market information
• Poor management
service (MIS)
• Carelessness of farmers
• Poor storage facilities
• Unorganized marketing.
 POST – HARVEST TREATMENT
 Treatment are usually done before storage
 Examples of commonly used postharvest treatments are
 degreening, curing, wax coating, application of growth regulators.

 OBJECTIVES
• to delay senescence,
Maintain the quality of fresh
• to minimize spoilage, and produces and extend its
• To improve appearance and marketability. shelf life
 POST – HARVEST TREATMENT
WAYS TO MINIMIZE POST HARVEST LOSS
 Examples:
• Degreening is a process employed mainly to improve color.
• Applications of surface coatings, fungicides, and other chemicals are common before
fruits are marketed or stored under ambient or refrigerated conditions. It is also
effective in reducing chilling injury in refrigerated storage.
• Plant growth regulators are used to delay aging/senescence and various fungistats
(fungal growth inhibitor) are used to control rots.
• Gamma radiations are used to reduce microbial spoilage or disinfest the fruits with
fruit flies.
These are supplemental treatments and cannot substitute refrigeration for long-term
storage.
 POST – HARVEST TREATMENT
WAYS TO MINIMIZE POST HARVEST LOSS
Temperature and Relative Humidity Management
Evaporative Cool Storage
Waxing / Coating
Washing
Refrigerated Transport and Storage
Packing and Packaging
Modified Atmosphere Packaging
Controlled Atmosphere Packaging
Irradiation
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT
 Temperature - 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 - Q10
Q10 - A measure of the temperature sensitivity of an enzymatic reaction rate or a
physiological process due to an increase by 10°C
 Temperature affects spore germination and the growth of pathogens.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT

Unsuitable temperatures for fresh produce can cause rapid

deterioration due to the following disorders:
 Freezing injury
 Chilling injury
 High Temperature Injury
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT

 Chilling injury
 When commodities are stored at temperature lower than its optimum storage
temperature (or lowest safe temperature - LST).

 Severity of the damage depends on - the degree of chilling and also the period of
exposure to the damaging temperature

 Other factors influence the development of chilling injury, including the degree
of ripeness of fruit, the atmospheric composition, the rate water loss and pre-
harvest factors.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT

 Freezing injury
 When freeze below at 0ºC because of the
organics and inorganic solutes in the cell sap
 The damage caused by freezing is result of the
formation of ice crystals in the cells causing
disruption of both membranes and cell walls
 Hence, on thawing the cellular integrity is lost
and the plant material loses some of its texture,
may discolour and leaf tissues appear
translucent and wilted.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT
 High Temperature Injury
 High temperature damage occurs at temperature
above the normal physiological range (usually above
30ºC).
 Normal metabolic processes are disrupted through
inactivation of enzymes or through high rates of
respiration.
 Disruption of enzyme systems causes fruit such as
tomato and banana not to ripen properly and
anaerobic respiration in the center of potatoes causes
the disorder known as blackheart.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
EVAPORATIVE COOL STORAGE
 Evaporative cooling – a physical
phenomenon in which evaporation
of a liquid, typically into
surrounding air, cools an object or a
liquid in contact with it.
 the best short-term storage of
fruits and vegetables at farm level
 Shrivelling in crops is reduced and
their storage life are extended.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
EVAPORATIVE COOL STORAGE
 Evaporative coolers provide cool air
by forcing hot dry air over a wetted
pad.
 The water in the pad evaporates,
removing heat from the air while
adding moisture.
 When water evaporates it draws
energy from its surroundings which
produces a considerable cooling
effect.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WAXING / COATING

 protective coating for fruits and vegetables

 help in reduction in loss in moisture and rate of respiration, a shield to
natural gases (oxygen, ethylene) that induces decay
 results in prolonged storage life
 Edible coat - reduce microbial growth in solid and semisolid food
products by decreasing the diffusion rate of antimicrobial agents from
coating materials into the food
 and consequently sustaining a relatively high concentration of antimicrobial
agents on the surface of the food product for a long time
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WAXING / COATING

 They can control migration of gases, moisture, oil, fat, and solutes, as
well as retain volatile flavouring compounds.
 Improves structural integrity and mechanical handling
 to maintain quality
 inhibit microbial growth which cause deterioration of the product.

 Waxing done by – spraying, dip or immerse, brushing, foaming or

fogging
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WAXING / COATING

 Edible coating - can be produced from different natural components,

including polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, obtained from renewable
agricultural resources and/or food processing wastes.
 Example: Apeel - When the liquid coating dries, it interacts with a fruit
or vegetable’s molecules and helps preserve it.
 Some fruit naturally produces fruit wax – apple, grapes, plum
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WAXING / COATING
Untreated with edible coating

Treated with edible coating

MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WAXING / COATING
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WASHING

 Vegetables such as root and tuber crops are often washed to remove the
soils adhering over them.
 Washing of fruits before packing is also very important, especially of those
which have been treated with poisonous chemicals.
 Besides cleanliness, water used for washing improves the appearance of
fruits and vegetables and prevents their wilting.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
WASHING
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT AND STORAGE

 Temperature management during

transportation of fresh fruits and
vegetables over long distances is
critical.
 Loads must be stacked so as to enable
proper air circulation,
 to facilitate removal of heat from the
produce
 to dissipate incoming heat from the
atmosphere and off the road.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT AND STORAGE
 Stacking of loads must also
incorporate consideration for
minimizing mechanical damage.
 Transit vehicles must be cooled
prior to loading the fresh produce.
 Delays between cooling after
harvest and loading into transit
vehicles should also be avoided.
 Proper temperature maintenance
should be ensured throughout the
handling system.
 MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
PACKING AND PACKAGING
 This technology controls the rate of transpiration and
respiration
 Hence, keeps the commodity in fresh condition both
at ambient and low temperature.
 Provides protection from mechanical damage,
undesirable physiological changes and pathological
deterioration during storage, transportation and
marketing.
 Through proper packaging, freshness, succulence and
flavours of fruits and vegetables can be maintained
for a longer period.
 MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
PACKING AND PACKAGING

 wide variety of containers such as

 wooden boxes,
 bamboo baskets,
 jute bags,
 earthen pots
 corrugated fibre board boxes
 polythene films,
 paper board boxes lined with polyethylene
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING

 modify the atmosphere composition inside the package by respiration.

 successful to extend the shelf life of (Cavendish banana, carrots capsicum, green
chilli and tomatoes by 15, 14, 13, 8 and 15 days as against 5, 7, 8, 4 and 7 days in
control respectively, under ambient conditions.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING

 modify the atmosphere composition inside the package by respiration.

 successful to extend the shelf life of (Cavendish banana, carrots capsicum, green
chilli and tomatoes by 15, 14, 13, 8 and 15 days as against 5, 7, 8, 4 and 7 days in
control respectively, under ambient conditions.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING

 Reduce respiration rate and ethylene action.

 Delay ripening and deterioration.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE (CA)

 a technique where concentrations of oxygen,

carbon dioxide and nitrogen are controlled
for preservation and to extend shelf life.
 maintaining an artificial atmosphere in
storage room, which has higher concentration
of CO2 and lower concentration of 02 than
normal atmosphere.
 This reduces the rate of respiration and thus,
delays aging.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
IRRADIATION
 newer technologies
 fruits and vegetables exposed to ionizing radiation (such as gamma-rays)
at optimum dosage
 delays ripening minimizes insect infestation,
 retards microbial spoilages,
 control sprouting,
 and rotting of onion, garlic and potato during storage.
 also used as a disinfection treatment and controls fruit fly on citrus,
mango seed weevil and papaya fruit fly.
MINIMIZING POST-HARVEST LOSS
IRRADIATION
CONCLUSION
 Fruits and vegetables are perishable in nature.
 Scientific harvesting and handling are the practical way to reduce the
losses due to physical damage, spoilages, due to insect damages and
microbial growth.
 Proper storage conditions, with suitable temperature and humidity are
essential to lengthen the storage life and maintain quality once the crop
has been cooled to the optimum storage temperature.
 It is also important to train farmers and to create of infrastructure for
cold chain with common facilities for sorting, grading, packing and post-
harvest treatments in all major markets.
THANK YOU