1. Presentación 3.3. Quality assurance program for export markets for Physalis (Cape gooseberry)

2. Presentación 3.3. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM FOR EXPORT MARKETS FOR PHYSALIS Work team Flow Diagram hazard identification and control measures Determine acceptable levels. Monitoring Corrective Measures Documents and record keeping Plan Assessment and Adjustments. Determine Control Points

3. Presentación 3.3. Assemble the team Team of post-harvest technologists. Technologist specialized in handling horticultural produce. Support from producers, exporters, research and development institutes, academia, etc. Staff members from participating institutes meet to analyse results

4. Presentación 3.3. Reference terms: Objective: Assure the quality of Physalis, throughout harvesting and post-harvesting, by improving the efficiency of the post-harvest handling systems, to meet the growing demand in international markets. Hazards associated with quality losses were evaluated against Codex Alimentarius Standard 226-2001, establishing:

5. Presentación 3.3. Minimum trade requirements Fruits must be whole (Shape). Fruits must have the characteristic spherical shape (Shape). Color of the fruits must be uniform, according to the maturity specified in the color tables (Uniformity). Fruits must be fresh in appearance and with a firm consistency, skin must be smooth and shiny (Appearance/Consistency). Fruits must be healthy, free from insects and/or diseases diminishing the internal quality (Pathological damage/insects). Fruits must be free from any abnormal external moisture resulting from mishandling in post-harvest (harvest, collection, sorting, grading, adaptation, packaging, storage and transport) (Appearance). Must free from foreign matters (soil, dust, agro chemicals and others), visible in the product or package, (Physical/chemical contamination). Length of the peduncle must be less than 25 mm (Avoid mechanical damages).

6. Presentación 3.3. Classification Classification: Regardless of size and color, is classified in three classes: Extra Class: produce must conform to all general requirements and be free of defects affecting quality. The calyx may have defects in coloration resulting from moisture and/or fungi (absent). The whole of these defects must be below 5 % of the total area of the fruit. Class I: produce must conform to all general requirements and must be free of defects affecting quality, to be traded. The calyx may have defects in coloration resulting from moisture and/or fungi (absent). The whole of these defects must be below 10 % of the total area of the fruit. Class II: Any produce not qualifying for the other two categories, but complying with the general requirements for trading. Fruits with healed cracks over 5 % of total area are not permissible. The calyx may have defects in coloration resulting from moisture and/or fungi (absent). The whole of these defects must be below 20 % of the total area of the fruit.

7. Presentación 3.3. Produce characteristics: Physiology: from a physiological standpoint, Physalis shows an intermediate behavior, with increased respiration during ripening of climacteric fruits. Nevertheless, before its actual physiological nature is defined, ethylene production should be studied. Production periods: Physalis is grown by small farmers, in surfaces not exceeding 2 hectare, using quite conventional technologies. Even if harvest takes place all year long, peaks in harvesting occur in October – November. Handling the produce: has a relatively low perishability, allowing for greater flexibility in harvesting. For export, Physalis comes with calyx (outside leaves protecting the fruit), index of maturity at harvest time range between 3-5, adaptation processes are basically by hand (sorting and adaptation), packaging in dried cardboard boxes, transport to ports and loading. Most exports are by plane, although with increasing demand, sea shipping is increasing.

8. Presentación 3.3.

9. PREPARING FOR HARVESTING HARVESTING VEHICLES LOADING TRANSPORT EXPORTING PLANT ROAD SIDE COLLECTING PLANT TRADITIONAL MARKET HARVESTING CONTAINER HARVESTING HARVESTING INDEX TRANSFERRING COLLECTION RECEPTION UNLOADING TRANSPORT PACKING AND WEIGHING DISTRIBUTION WITH CALIX WITHOUT CALIX RECEPTION UNLOADING WEIGHING SELECTION DRYING GRADING EXPORTNATIONAL WITH CALIXWITHOUT CALIX TRANSPORT Devolución Transient storage A

10. Presentación 3.3. UNLOADINGWEIGHING NATIONALL DISTRIBUTION DRYING PACKAGING (WITHOUT CALIX) QUITAR CAPACHO PUTTING ON TRAYS STOVE 60°C x 36 h PACKING BAGS x 20g GRADINGRECEPTION TRANSIENT STORAGE RECEPTION UNLOADING WEIGHING COOL STORAGE SELLING POINT DISTRIBUTION CENTER TRANSPORT SUPERMARKETS EXPORT PACKAGING (WITH CALYX) TRANSPORT AIR SEA AIRPORT CONTAINER LOADING INSPECTIO N PALLETIZING AND PILING TRANSPORT TO PORT UNLOADING PLAN LOADING SHIP LOADING TRANSPORT SELLING POINTS DISTRIBUTION A PACKING PLANT

11. Presentación 3.3.

17. Estimates show that at roadside collection, 60 % of the fruit produced belongs to class extra and the remaining two 30.3 % to classes I and II. However, after, reclassification 17 % is downgraded from extra to I and II as a result of mechanical damage (bruises) and the amount of very small fruits. Likewise, 5.8 % of the fruit harvested remains out of the chain, discarded at the farm and resulting from: 45.6 % have healed cracks 9.1 % are split, bruised, etc. (mishandled) 16.6 % maturity index (green fruits) 19.6 % biological damages (basically fungi: Cercospora sp.)

18. Presentación 3.3. Why does fruit not meet the requirements for class extra? Physiological damage: 10 % fruit damages (split fruits) and 26 % calyx damages. Inadequate handling: 35 % on fruits and 18 % calyx. Inadequate maturity index: 20 % green and over ripe fruits. Biological damages: particularly significant in the calyx up to 28 %. Some 8 % of losses from inadequate handling result from a dirty calyx. This reference data allow deciding the short, medium and long term solutions to enforce and the proper follow up actions to take.

19. Presentación 3.3. critical measures conducive to sorting out the following points, are critical and should be prioritized to enhance the efficiency of the handling chain to meet the quality requirements of the target market: mechanical damage Reducing mechanical damage optimizing the process diagram. rejects not meeting the maturity Reducing rejects not meeting the maturity requirements. biological hazards Reducing biological hazards (implementing post- harvest measures, Integrated Crop Management, ICM and Integrated Pest Management, IPM). cracked fruits Reducing cracked fruits.

20. Presentación 3.3.

22. feedback Strengthened relations are to be expected, in the short term, amongst the players along the chain resulting in continuous feedback between producers, exporters and support institutions. corrective actions This will allow for timely corrective actions when the quality improvement targets are not being met for produce selected for export markets. Corrective actions may be: revise data gathering, strengthen training, increase technology transfers, etc.

23. Presentación 3.3. The entrepreneurs will continuously evaluate that the objectives of the action plan are met (monitoring records and customer’s complaints and using other validation procedures) and introduce any required adjustment responding to the market’s signals and opportunities. For example, quarentenary treatments are currently studied to place products into potential markets now closed. This will surely result in adjusting post-harvest processes and redirecting marketing strategies.