Postharvest Technology

1. Production, Trade, Losses, Causes,
and Preservation
Ana Mae W. Aquino, ABE, MSc
PHT 2101
Postharvest Technology I
Chapter 1: Introduction to Postharvest
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Leyte State University
aaquino.southernleytestateu.edu.ph

2.  Therefore, there is a need to increase food production in
order to meet the requirements of the growing
population.
WHY STUDY POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY?
 The supply of grains and other food crops can be
augmented by increasing production as well as by
reducing postharvest losses.
 Recently, the FAO predicted that the world population
would top eight billion by the year 2030.

3. MAIN OBJECTIVES OF POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY
 Food Safety
 Quality Assurance
 Better Storage
 Better protection from pests
 Reduce losses (quantity and quality)
 Better marketing opportunities

4.  IMPORTANCE OF POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY?
 Improve the quality and shelf life of agricultural
products
 Reduce the wastage of agricultural produce
 Improve the economics of agriculture
 A tool in the fight against hunger and malnutrition

5.  WHAT IS POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY?
 The application of scientific and engineering principles to the
handling, storage, packaging, distribution, and sale of
agricultural produce after it has been harvested.
 It is concerned with the study and application of methods to
maintain the quality of harvested commodities to prevent
losses.

6.  PRODUCTION AND TRADE
Within Europe, Germany is the principal exporter of fruits and
vegetables
 US dominates in the international trade of fruits and vegetables
and is ranked number 1 as both importer and exporter.
Spain is the principal supplier
Netherlands plays a role in the physical distribution process

7.  PRODUCTION AND TRADE
China, India, Brazil, USA, Italy, and Mexico are the top 6 fruit
producers.
 Chile, South Africa, and New Zealand have become major
suppliers in the international trade of fresh fruit commodities.

8.  LOSSES AND CAUSES
 For each postharvest operation there is a possibility of some
losses either in quantity or in quality of the crop product.
 If these losses can be minimized, may countries of the world
may become self-sufficient in food.
 All food materials are subject to spoilage, thus, the major
purpose of food processing is to protect food against
deterioration.

9.  LOSSES AND CAUSES
 Hunger and malnutrition can exists in spite of adequate food
production.
 These can be the result of uneven distribution, losses, and
deterioration of available food resources.
 Losses vary by crop variety, year, pest, storage period,
methods of threshing, drying, handling, storage, processing,
transportation, and distribution according to both the climate
and the culture in which the food is produced and consumed.

10.  LOSSES AND CAUSES
 Food spoilage is due to:
microbial;
enzymatic; and
chemical
 All foods during storage are more or less infected with
microbes, which cause decomposition of the food
constituents, often with the production of evil-smelling and
toxic substances.

11.  LOSSES AND CAUSES
 Enzymes, being normal constituents of food, can break down
its proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, etc. into smaller molecules
and are also responsible for the enzymatic browning or
discoloration of food.
 The different chemical constituents of food also react with one
another or with the ambient oxygen, causing alteration in
color, flavor, and nutrients.

12.  PRESERVATION
 Ideally, any method of food preservation should prevent all he
three types of spoilage, but none of the present industrial
methods fulfills the requirements completely.
 Examples of food preservation:
Removal of moisture (drying, concentration)
Removal of heat (refrigeration, freezing)
Addition of heat (canning, pasteurization)
Addition of chemicals (fermentation)