Managing quality and safety in the post-harvest chain and reducing losses: Important considerations Rosa S. Rolle, Ph.D Senior Agro-Industries and Post-harvest Officer FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok Rosa.Rolle@fao.org

THE HORTICULTURAL CHAIN PRODUCER THE HORTICULTURAL CHAIN Basic Facts I N F O R M A T Spans the continuum from the producer to the consumer Includes a number of stakeholders; Can be either simple or complex Is driven by consumer demand CONSUMER

Key Objectives of Horticultural Chain Management Reduce losses Maintain quality Assure safety Improve efficiency Ensure that consumer and market demand for safe fruits and vegetables can be met

Major Operations in the Chain PRODUCTION HARVEST Every stakeholder in the chain has a responsibility to: - handle properly and to minimise the risk of contamination to assure safety and quality of produce TREATMENT PACKAGING TRANSPORT STORAGE DISTRIBUTION MARKETING Quality cannot be improved After harvest

Key Stakeholders in Traditional Horticultural Supply Chains

Key Stakeholders in Modern Value Chains Modern value chains on the other hand, make use of integrated systems that apply ICT and logistics, and employ comparably high levels of post-harvest technology.

Major Operations in the Chain PRODUCTION HARVEST A Chain is only as strong as its weakest link TREATMENT PACKAGING TRANSPORT STORAGE DISTRIBUTION MARKETING Quality Cannot be improved After harvest

Factors that Influence the Linkages and Integrity of the Chain 1. Stakeholders Level of organization Horizontal Vertical Level of knowledge and skill of stakeholders

Poor Integration of Activities in Supply Chains is a Major Cause of Losses Long time-frame in delivering produce to market compromises produce quality. High ambient temperatures and inappropriate handling contribute to quality deterioration Schematic of supply chain for locally produced fresh produce

Factors that Influence the Integrity of the Chain 2. Technological base Equipment Tools

Factors that Influence the Integrity of the Chain 3. Infrastructure Availability of-, and access to packing house facilities, transport, potable water, markets. The infrastructural base need not be elaborate but must be hygienically maintained in order to minimize produce contamination

Factors that Govern the Level of Operations Within the Chain Affordability in the target market Consumer preferences in the target market Produce must meet the quality requirements of the target market

What is Quality? A combination of attributes, properties or characteristics that give a commodity value in terms of its intended use. (Kader and Rolle, 2005)

FOOD QUALITY is an option … Noteworthy FOOD QUALITY is an option … Source: Hurst (2008)

CONSUMER DEMAND TRENDS Up-market S O C I - E N M Exotic and Specialty Produce Innovation Healthy Options Variety Supermarkets Convenience Mainstream Horticultural Produce Safety and Quality Basic Consumers in the region are concerned about food safety and often opt to purchase fresh food in modern supermarkets which uphold high standards of hygiene and food safety. Consumers at all levels are highly convenience oriented and increasingly seek fruits and vegetables in a format that is easily prepared, easy to handle and store and to consume. More affluent consumers in the region demand a range of produce items on a year round basis, and often DEMAND VARIETY IN TERMS OF A SPECIFIC PRODUCE ITEM (E.G. DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF TOMATOES).THEY ALSO SEEK DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF PRODUCE, AS WELL AS PREPARATION OPTIONS, THUS DEMANDING GREATER INNOVATION IN THE WAY IN WHICH PRODUCE IS PRESENTED TO THEM. Growing interest in attaining wellness through diet is fuelling interest and change in food demands, leading to increased consumption of non-traditional foods such as organic products. Very high end consumers also demand DIFFERENTIATED AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS WITH NOVEL FEATURES E.G. PRODUCE HAVING A DIFFERENT , COLOR (E.G. PURPLE SWEET PEPPER), SIZE (BABY VEGETABLES); OR SHAPE [ SQUARE WATER MELONS]. Price and Freshness Wet Market

Factors that Contribute to Quality Appearance Size, shape, color, gloss, freedom from defects Texture Feel in the hand Firmness, softness Feel in the mouth Juiciness, crispiness, toughness

… Factors that Contribute to Quality Flavour Smell Taste Sweetness, sourness, astringency, bitterness Nutrition Vitamin, mineral, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, fibre, phytonutrients

….Factors that Contribute to Quality Food Safety Assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.

Fresh Produce is vulnerable to contamination as it moves through the chain. Efforts must, therefore, be made to minimise the risk of contamination through preventative approaches

Fresh Produce is vulnerable to hazards at every step of the chain What kind of HAZARDS? PRODUCTION HARVESTING HANDLING STORAGE DISTRIBUTION BIOLOGICAL - Microorganisms - Birds - Insects CHEMICAL - Pesticides - Detergents PHYSICAL - Blades - Packaging material

Fresh Produce May Look Good But a key question is : “Is it Safe to Eat?”

Food Safety must be assured in the post-harvest chain through simple, practical preventative approaches

Minimize the opportunity for microbial contamination through proper handling: Produce must not come into contact with soil after harvest.

Water used in post-harvest operations must be clean and free from contamination to assure safety The use of potable water in post-harvest operations helps to prevent Microbiological and chemical contamination Hot Water Treatment Washing or contaminating??

Tools and equipment used in post-harvest operations must be clean to assure safety Clean tools, equipment and packaging, helps to prevent : Microbiological and chemical contamination; The spread of post-harvest diseases Insect infestation Tools must also be intact, to avoid physical hazards E.g. Blades from the harvesting equipment stuck in the fruit

Packaging must be clean to assure safety Detergents used in washing must be safe in use for food and must not pose a risk of chemical contamination

Proper handling, protection from mechanical injury and temperature and relative humidity management are fundamental in maintaining quality in the chain

Good Packaging and proper handling are critical in in minimising quality loss Cushioning of produce for the wet market

Containers must have smooth surfaces to avoid mechanical damage during transportation Packaging and other containers used must be repaired if produce damage is to be avoided

Proper packing and Stacking in transport systems to allow air flow is critical to maintaining temperature and optimizing the use of space in transport systems

Packaging containers must be of the correct size and must not be overpacked to minimise bruising, compression damage and heat build up

Any Chain is as Strong as its Weakest Link PRODUCER Any Chain is as Strong as its Weakest Link CROSS CUTTINGNG NEEDS Good Hygiene Proper Handling & packaging Temp & humidity management Efficiency CONSUMER

THANK YOU Rosa.Rolle@fao.org