Fresh Produce Handling at Destination Markets

Transcription

1 Fresh Produce Handling at Destination Markets Marita Cantwell UC Davis 1

2 Handling at Destination Wholesale Wholesale markets Distribution Centers Retail Retail markets Farmers markets Factors contributing to postharvest losses Temperature Water loss Damage Diseases Ethylene Continued growth Physiological disorders Temperature affects all causes of deterioration 2

3 Maintaining temperature is a major challenge during distribution Cold Chain Monitoring Temperature management and microbial food safety Generally the product is coldest when loaded for transport to destinations Temperature control supplements good sanitation practices Low temp slows pathogen growth but prolongs pathogen survival (food source required) High temperature shortens pathogen survival time if humidity is low (i.e. no consumer packaging High temperature + high humidity + food source = proliferation 3

4 Opportunities for Improvement: Farm to Customer Tracking and Traceability Farms Wireless and Sensor Applications Packing Station Cold Storage Port/Yard Vessels Discharge Port DC/Ripening Stores I N T E R N A L Visibility and Velocity Improve reefer monitoring and control Improve vessel monitoring and control Improve truck/container monitoring and control Improve yard management Improve yard management Enhance container security Improve asset management E X T E R N A L Improve customer service Improve control over in-transit ripening Enhance food safety and security Improve customer supply chain compliance Optimize in-store promotions Deloitte Consulting Compatibility Temperature Relative Humidity Ethylene Odor Transportation and Loading 7 day storage compatibility chart Distribution warehouses and Storage rooms Retail & Food Service outlets 4

5 Inspection at Destination Quality Physical properties: color, shape, texture Defects allowed Did product meet grade packed? Condition Dynamic properties, change with time Maturity/ripeness Weight loss Decay Damage 5

6 Product being held under ideal conditions? UNLIKELY Therefore expedited handling is usually best. Simplify temperatures for 5-7days distribution and handling 0-2 C 7-10 C C Streamline Distribution How long to market? What shelf-life is actually needed? 1-2 days to harvest, cool, temporary storage 3-5 days to transport 1-3 days at distribution center 1-3 days at retail 1-3 days at consumer Total = 7-16 days Tesco (U.K.) Fresh & Easy Stores in U.S. Farm to Store in 24 6

7 Supermarket Distribution Centers Transdocking Refrigerated Dock Racked Warehouse; Picking Orders Banana Ripening Rooms Stacking strength of boxes is in the corners. Boxes well aligned and pallets strapped 7

8 Events at Destination Markets Post-shipping quality/condition assessed Continued product water loss Ripening and/or senescence Cool product that arrives warm Damage during secondary distribution Waste management Repacking; Repalletizing Costly to do at destination 8

9 Keys to Effective Handling Inspect on arrival Separate into quality groups Proper conditioning Repack, repalletize if necessary Separate into compatibility groups FIFO (first-in should be first out) FEFO (first expired, first out) Stage or consolidate in cold room to ship to store Causes of Load Rejections at Receiver Docks (example from one Food Service distributor) Temperature variance: 50% Quality or Condition: 20% Damaged cartons: 30% 9

10 Ripening Fruits at Destination Ripening rooms Temperature 15-25C RH 85-95% Air circulation for uniform temperature Ventilation to keep CO2 below 1% Treatment with ethylene No higher than 100ppm, 20 ppm usually sufficient Need to vent ethylene outside facility Ethylene gas mixtures, ethylene generators Ripening Conditions For Some Commonly-ripened Fruit Fruit Exposure time (hours) 1 To 100ppm ethylene Range of ripening temperatures 2 Avocado ºC / 59-68ºF Banana ºC / 58-65ºF Kiwifruit ºC / 54-77ºF Manago ºC / 68-77ºF Pear ºC / 68-77ºF Tomato ºC / 65-68ºF 1 Shorter duration for more mature fruit 2 Faster ripening rate at higher temperatures 10

11 Local Transport Fresh-cut produce Chill Chain Temperatures During Shipping, Distribution and Retail Display. Temperature ( C) Distance Transport At plant Local Distribution Retail Store Cooler Retail Shelf Days Example from fresh-cut processor, Salinas. 11

12 Waste Handling at Destination Store Shrink returned for disposal Containers Corrugated cartons >750,000 tons per year in U.S. Bailed waste is revenue source for recycling Fuel logs, fuel pellets Waxed containers must be separated Pallets Pallet exchange (60%), one-way (14%) 325 million new pallets/year 12 billion ponds burned or disposed #6 contributor to landfills; 1/3 landfills not accept Examples Retail displays 12

13 Examples Retail displays Keys to Successful Handling A. Quality assurance 1. Inspect produce when received 2. Separate produce according to quality 3. Trim, remove damaged produce 4. Rotate on first-in, first-out basis 5. Eliminate produce with serious defects 6. Sell as soon as possible 13

14 Keys to Successful Handling B. Temperature-RH management 1. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight 2. Use cold storage rooms for short-term holding 3. Maintain adequate ventilation 4. Use refrigerated display cases 5. Sprinkle tolerant commodities with water Products that tolerate sprinkling with water Leafy vegetables Cruciferous vegetables Tender root vegetables Some immature fruit vegetables (peas) Keys to Successful Handling C. Careful handling 1. Handle produce with care 2. Avoid drops, impacts, bruising 3. Do not stack containers very high 4. Use single or double layer for soft fruits 5. Display sensitive products on padded surfaces 14

15 Keys to Successful Handling D. Sanitation procedures 1. If needed, wash produce and remove excess moisture 2. Sort out and properly discard produce with decay 3. Clean storage and display areas periodically 4. Employee hygiene Retail Display Preparation Make a plan: contrast colors group related items Build a pyramidal shape; not pile too high Highlight highly perishable produce Bulk items must be accessible to consumers Maintain adequate lighting and cleanliness Consumer turn-offs Poor-quality produce Shortage of staff Uninformed produce clerks Insufficient signs and pricing Disregard of consumer preferences 15

16 Maintaining the Retail Display Check displays regularly Keep displays replenished Rotate produce when replenishing Remove poor quality produce Sprinkle with clean water when useful Check display temperature Protect potatoes from direct light Transfer produce to cold room overnight Display ready packaging 16

17 Display Cases should have Vertical Air Flow for Fresh-cut Products Products which tolerate ice Asparagus Broccoli Brussel sprouts Carrots (topped) Cauliflower Celery Packaged fresh-cuts Endives Green onions Lettuces Parsley Spinach Sweet corn 17

18 Harvest Cooling Storage Transport to Market Handling at destination Maintain the Cold Chain 50-75% of storage life is spent in a transport vehicle Use refrigerated loading area Cool truck before loading Load pallets towards center of truck Avoid delays during transport Monitor product temperature Use refrigerated unloading area Measure product temperature Move product quickly to storage area Transport locally in refrigerated truck Display/store at proper temp. range Handling at home or Foodservice outlet This can be a real problem! Warehousing Distribution Transportation Information Logistics Traceability Packaging: common footprint fewer types Identification Time, temperature Other information? Precise Temperature control Storage conditions & compatibilities 0-2 C 7-10 C C 18