Recent Advances in Reducing Food Losses in the Supply Chain of Fresh Agricultural Produce

Fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious agricultural produce with tremendous human health benefits. They are also highly perishable and as such are easily susceptible to spoilage, leading to a reduction in quality attributes and induced food loss. Cold chain technologies have over the years been employed to reduce the quality loss of fruits and vegetables from farm to fork. However, a high amount of losses (≈50%) still occur during the packaging, transportation, and storage of these fresh agricultural produce. This study highlights the current state-of-the-art of various advanced tools employed to reducing the quality loss of fruits and vegetables during the packaging, storage, and transportation cold chain operations, including the application of imaging technology, spectroscopy, multi-sensors, electronic nose, radio frequency identification, printed sensors, acoustic impulse response, and mathematical models. It is shown that computer vision, hyperspectral imaging, multispectral imaging, spectroscopy, X-ray imaging, and mathematical models are well established in monitoring and optimizing process parameters that affect food quality attributes during cold chain operations. We also identified the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual representation models of a particular fresh produce (digital twins) as emerging technologies that can help monitor and control the uncharted quality evolution during its postharvest life. These advances can help diagnose and take measures against potential problems affecting the quality of fresh produce in the supply chains. Plausible future pathways to further develop these emerging technologies and help in the significant reduction of food losses in the supply chain of fresh produce are discussed. Future research should be directed towards integrating IoT and digital twins in order to intensify real-time monitoring of the cold chain environmental conditions, and the eventual optimization of the postharvest supply chains. This study gives promising insight towards the use of advanced technologies in reducing losses in the postharvest supply chain of fruits and vegetables

Identifying container hotspots for table grape exports from South Africa to the UK: A case study

In view of table grapes being very sensitive to temperature variations, steps must be taken to maintain temperature at protocol levels to avoid deterioration of fruit quality and resultant food losses. This study assesses the implications of hotspots in refrigerated containers during table grape exports from a packhouse in South Africa, through the other stages of the cold chain until a retailer's distribution centre in the UK. Ambient and pulp temperature data were collected from temperature sensors inserted at locations distributed horizontally and vertically throughout the container. The mixed analyses results showed that the most severe temperature deviations from protocol, in terms of the maximum temperatures recorded, occurred during the period from when the pallets were removed from cold storage to be loaded into the reefer container up to when the container was reconnected to an electricity supply at the port. Sensors located in the middle and top of the pallet were far more likely to record temperature deviations compared to sensors located at the bottom of the pallet, implying that hotspots are more likely to form in the upper-half of the container than near the floor. The study, a first that covered the entire export cold chain of table grapes to the importing country's distribution centre, identified key areas industry role players can concentrate on to improve the operational procedures along the cold chain. This was done to help support the South African table grape industry to remain competitive in the global market

Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of In-Transit Fruit Temperature Control Alternatives Inside Integral Containers.

Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineerin

CFD Modelling of the Thermal Performance of Fruit Packaging Boxes - Influence of Vent-Holes Design

The shelf life of perishable products depends mainly on the conservation of air temperature. Packaging boxes are usually used to accommodate food products during cold storage and transport and/or display. The design of the vent-holes of the packaging box must promote cold airflow and remove the field heat of the produce after harvest at a short time. This study describes the influence of the vent-holes design and its performance during cold storage. The cooling performance of the different packaging boxes is evaluated experimentally and numerically using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Three new packaging box configurations with the same size but different vent-holes design (size, shape and position) and a reference box are modelled. The transient three-dimensional CFD model predicts the airflow pattern and temperature distribution within the different packaging boxes. The best thermal performance packaging achieved a fruit model temperature 1.5 K to 5 K lower than the other configurations at the end of 8 h of cooling. These predictions allow the development of new packaging box designs that promote the shelf-life extension of perishable products.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Testing packaging design changes in kiwifruit packaging for reefer container conditions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Food Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Refrigerated transport is widely used for export in the New Zealand horticultural industry, valued to be over NZD $9.5B in 2019, to maintain the quality of perishable produce from farm to consumer. New Zealand’s horticultural industry mostly uses refrigerated containers (reefers) to deliver the goods. In which, generally, the precooled produce in stacked boxes will be stored as pallet units, where the refrigeration unit and a fan circulate air into the container. Normally the air inside the reefer is to achieve a homogenous controlled environment around the produce as well as in the container through flow in vertical directions (from bottom to top) towards every corner of container in order to preserve the fruit quality and prolong its shelf life. Packaging design plays a crucial part in the cooling performance, especially in ventilation (i.e vent size and vent location over the design) with respect to the direction of air flow within the cooling unit. Even though vertical ventilation has its impact on the cooling performance of a design, the modular bulk packaging of polylined kiwifruit has not been equipped with vertical ventilation despite the kiwifruit industry being the largest horticultural sector in New Zealand (worth NZD$ 2.3B in 2019). To understand the effects of vertical ventilation on a kiwifruit MB box design in a reefer condition, an apparatus was designed and constructed of a single column of MB boxes with similar airflow considerations as a standard reefer. For experimentation purposes artificial kiwifruit simulators were used in place of real kiwifruits. Fruit temperature was used as a variable to understand the cooling efficiency of the box design by using 20℃ or 25℃ as initial temperature and pumping 0℃ reefer condition airflow into the apparatus. In addition to vertical ventilation, the experimental setup also considered polyliner bags and different air flow modes as a design variable and reefer variable respectively. For single column MB boxes at reefer conditions it was found that 3% vertical ventilation has no significant effect on the cooling profile of the boxes in both economical (40 air renewal/hr) and normal (75 renewal/ hr) air flows. Additionally, removal of polyliner form the design reduced the half-cooling time of the boxes in economical flow ranging from 36-56 %. Where the smallest and largest change was observed in the middle box and the base box. With the addition of vertical ventilation to the polyliner scenario, an added effect of reduction in the half- cooling values ranging 46-52% was observed

The reefer container market and academic research: A review study

The refrigerated (or ‘reefer’) container market grows rapidly. Researchers and sector stakeholders increasingly realize that this container market segment has its distinct dynamics and demands. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the reefer container sector, its most important characteristics and trends, and a systematic review of the academic literature on reefer containers and logistics. First the authors outline the characteristics, composition, and development of the reefer container market, showing its growth through modal shift (from conventional reefer ships and airfreight) and differentiation into new cargo markets and niche services. Secondly the authors outline reefer chains in terms of their relevant stages, stakeholders, and processes. Data on insurance claims shows that cold chain failure and cargo loss not only occur due to technical failures, but just as often due to organizational errors – especially due to hold-up risk at container transfer points. Thirdly the authors map the present knowledge on reefer containers and reefer transportation through a systematic literature review. The current body of research on reefer containers consists mostly of highly specialized, technical studies on product characteristics and quality preservation, monitoring and control, refrigeration technology, and temperature management. While technological advances in these fields have largely enabled the containerization of cold logistics chains, the first sections of this paper also highlight that many current pressing issues in reefer transportation are logistical and organizational in nature. Therefore, the authors propose a research agenda addressing these overlooked aspects, including supply chain coordination issues and implications of reefer market developments for port policy

Inventory report: Dutch Smart Chains fortransport of perishable products

There is a strategic collaboration between RDA from South Korea and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) from the Netherlands. RDA is a similar organisation to Stichting Wageningen. RDA has a Liaison in WUR, who is Dr. Suntay Choi. He is responsible for the bilateral collaboration between RDA and Wageningen. At present 12 RDA-WUR projects are being implemented, all financed by RDA. Dr. Choi would like to set up a small project on “smart chains” applications in Dutch postharvest fresh produce chains. Together with a delegation from the RDA Export supporting centre, he visited Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (FBR) on 14 May 2018. In that visit he has asked for an inventory (desk study) of available postharvest technologies and management experience in this field in the Netherlands, and possible applications in South-Korea. A similar study has been done for smart farming in pig production and greenhouse horticulture by Wageningen Economic Research (WEcR). The Netherlands as the fresh/logistic hub in Western Europe is the leading player in the global agroproduct market. The Netherlands have developed advanced postharvest technologies to reduce postharvest losses by improving the storage and transport conditions of fresh products in the fresh produce chains. They are also engaged in establishing the so called “smart chain” to achieve better chain efficiency and coordination. Such experience has placed the Netherlands as worldwide leading in fresh produce supply chain solutions. Part of this experience can be learned by South Korea. This project elaborates the recent developments of postharvest technologies and management in Europe, especially in the Netherlands. The main message this report wants to convey to the readers is that smart/advanced technologies do not work by themselves; they need other factors specific to certain conditions to result in significant improvements. Therefore, the essence of “smart chain” is in fact optimally using the technologies and resources at hand to deliver products that satisfy the market demands and create the largest chain values

Postharvest Management of Fruits and Vegetables

All articles in the presented collection are high-quality examples of both basic and applied research. The publications collectively refer to apples, bananas, cherries, kiwi fruit, mango, grapes, green bean pods, pomegranates, sweet pepper, sweet potato tubers and tomato and are aimed at improving the postharvest quality and storage extension of fresh produce. The experimental works include the following postharvest treatments: 1-methylcycloprpene, methyl jasmonate, immersion in edible coatings (aloe, chitosan, plant extracts, nanoemulsions, ethanol, ascorbic acid and essential oils solutions), heat treatments, packaging, innovative packaging materials, low temperature, low O2 and high CO2 modified atmosphere, and non-destructible technique development to measure soluble solids with infra- and near infra-red spectroscopy. Preharvest treatments were also included, such as chitosan application, fruit kept on the vine, and cultivation under far-red light. Quality assessment was dependent on species, treatment and storage conditions in each case and included evaluation of color, bruising, water loss, organoleptic estimation and texture changes in addition to changes in the concentrations of sugars, organic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols, phenolic compounds and aroma volatiles. Gene transcription related to ethylene biosynthesis, modification of cell wall components, synthesis of aroma compounds and lipid metabolism were also the focus of some of the articles

Advances in Postharvest Process Systems

This Special Issue presents a range of recent technologies and innovations to help the agricultural and food industry to manage and minimize postharvest losses, enhance reliability and sustainability, and generate high-quality products that are both healthy and appealing to consumers. It focuses on three main topics of food storage and preservation technologies, food processing technologies, and the applications of advanced mathematical modelling and computer simulations. This presentation of the latest research and information is particularly useful for people who are working in or associated with the fields of agriculture, the agri-food chain and technology development and promotion

Postharvest Technology

Postharvest management of food crops is an important part of food safety and security across the supply chain. It includes processing of agricultural produce, storage, packaging and coating, postharvest disease management, extending shelf life, and maintaining food quality and safety. Postharvest Technology - Recent Advances, New Perspectives and Applications discusses some important aspects of postharvest technologies. Chapters address such topics as postharvest preservation technology, postharvest disease management, and postharvest processing and packaging