This document discusses methods to reduce post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in India. It notes that India loses over 50% of agricultural produce annually due to poor packaging and handling during transport and storage. This results in economic losses of over Rs. 55,600 crores annually. The document discusses various causes of post-harvest losses including physical damage, physiological changes, and microbial growth. It emphasizes the role of proper packaging, low temperature storage, and modified atmosphere packaging in extending shelf life and reducing losses. The document provides examples of technologies like cooling methods, controlled atmosphere storage, calcium treatments, and 1-MCP treatments that have been effective in reducing losses for various fruits and vegetables in India.

1. Packaging and Handling of Fruits &
Vegetables to Reduce Losses and
Enhance the Profit of Producer
S. K. Goyal, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Farm Engineering,
Institute of Agricultural Sciences,
Banaras Hindu University,
Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Barkachha,
Mirzapur – 231 001 (U.P.)
Source: ICAR, New Delhi

2. 2
Present Scenario
Horticulture sector
Provides a dynamic tool for
enhancing economic returns,
attaining nutrition security,
creating employment avenues and
ensuring ecological sustainability
Broad spectrum of activities are:
Production of Fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices
and plantation crops
Value addition through PHM (includes Packaging
and Handling)
Value addition through processing

3. Post Harvest Losses- current scenario
Alarming situation when the world is reeling under
severe food crisis
 India loses Rs.55,600 crores worth agril. produce every
year (equivalent to approx. 50% India’s Defense budget)
 10% of the food grain
 15% of the pulse crop
30% per cent of all fruits & Vegetables

4. 4

5. 5
Perishability Factors of Fresh
Horticultural commodities
Living tissues – even after harvest!!
High water content
Diverse morphology & composition
Subject to pathological breakdown

6. 6
Major causes of PH losses of
Horticultural crops
Physical – causes
e.g. wt. loss, bruise injury during PH handling
Physiological and biochemical– causes
e.g. Over-ripe, senescence, off-flavour
Poor texture, uneven ripening, Yellowing etc. etc.
Pathological / microbiological – causes
e.g. Dry or wet rotting

7. Presentation 3.2
Avoid the negative effect
of external factors
To reduce and delay the action
of the internal factors that are
responsible for product
deterioration

8. ROLE OF PACKAGING……..
Physical Protection
Barrier Protection
Containment or Agglomeration
Marketing

9. ROLE OF PACKAGING
Convenience
Security
Portion Control

10. Purpose of Packaging
• Protect from bacterial damage
• Protect from physical damage
• Contains the food product
• Preserves the product to extend shelf life
• Informs the consumer about the product–
labelling
• Attracts consumers to buy the product
• Easy in handling & storage
• Helps in transportation

11. 11
Use of Low Temperature

12. 12
Storage Temperature vs metabolic activity
of harvested produce

13. Presentation 3.2
Objective: to remove the field heat.
Movement of the caloric energy from the
product to the cooling substance.

14. ICAR-NRConPomegranate,Solapur,Maharashtra
Presentation 3.2
Variable Ice Hydro Vacuum
Forced-
air
Room
Cooling times (h) 0.1-0.3 0.1-1.0 0.3-2.0 1.0-10.0 20-100
Water contact with
the product yes yes no no no
Product moisture loss
(%) 0-0.5 0-0.5 2.0-4.0 0.1-2.0 0.1-2.0
Capital cost high low medium low low
Energy efficiency low high high low low
Cooling method
Comparison among cooling methods
Source: Kader & Rolle (2003)

15. Forced air cooling

16. 16
At Harvest (Samastipur)
After transport (Delhi)
Effect of biologically active cushioning on
packaging of litchi

17. Basic concepts of MA and CA
• Regular Atmosphere
O2= 21%
N2= 78%
CO2=0.03%
• Any deviation from regular atmosphere is known as
Modified Atmosphere (MA)
• MA could be achieved in packaging by using
polymeric films or membranes having differential
permeability to CO2, O2,N2 and water vapour
• Used to extend the postharvest life and retain quality
during handling and storage of fruits, vegetables and
flowers

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Modified Atmosphere Packaging of
bittergourds
Control MAP-1 MAP-2
PUSA VISHESH
Control MAP-1 MAP-2
PUSA DOMOSOMI
Control MAP-1 MAP-2
PUSA HYBID-1
Control MAP-1 MAP-2
PUSA HYBRID-2
MAP-1= Active ( CO2/O2= 4.5/7.5) & MAP-2= Passive ( CO2/O2= 0-10/21-1.5)

19. ICAR-NRConPomegranate,Solapur,Maharashtra
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Effect of MAP on storage of bitter
gourd
10.5
18.5
15
0
5
10
15
20
Storagelife(Days
CONTROL MAP-1 MAP-2
MAP-1= Active ( CO2/O2= 4.5/7.5)
MAP-2= Passive ( CO2/O2= 0-10/21-1.5)

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MA storage of Cauliflower at ambient
• Harvesting
• Trimming of leaves
• Wrap the edible curd using
suitable LLDPE film
• Prevents loosening of curd
• Better marketability by MAP
upto 15 days as against only
3-4 days in control at
ambient
•
At Harvest
After 15 days

21. ICAR-NRConPomegranate,Solapur,Maharashtra
21
Post harvest handling of banana
(In collaboration with SAFAL)
• Existing method of
transport as bunch
– Loss due to bruise
– Loss due to cracking
– Unwanted material
• Improved method
– Separate into hands
– Use of disinfectant
+ High Modulus film bagging
– Transport in crates
– Very little bruise
– Better quality on ripening
Before
transport
After
Transport

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Postharvest handling of banana
(In collaboration with SAFAL)
• Bruise damage leads to
black spots due to oxidation
of polyphenols which
becomes clearly visible on
ripening
• Bruise damage could be
significantly minimized-
better marketability on
ripening
• Technology presently used
by NDDB’s F&V unit Transported as hand
Before
Ripening
After
Ripening
Transported as bunch

23. Presentation 3.2
Modified and controlled atmosphere storage

24. ICAR-NRConPomegranate,Solapur,Maharashtra
Range of storage
duration (months)
Commodity
More than 12 Almond, Brazil nut, cashew, filbert, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut, dried fruits and
vegetables
6-12 Some cultivars of apples and European pears
3-6 Cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kiwifruit, persimmon, pomegranate, some cultivars of Asian
pears
1-3 Avocado, banana, cherry, grape (no SO2), mango, olive, onion (sweet cultivars), some
cultivars of nectarine, peach and plum, tomato (mature-green)
<1 Asparagus, broccoli, cane berries, fig, lettuce, muskmelons, papaya, pineapple, strawberry,
sweet corn; fresh-cut fruits and vegetables; some cut flowers
Classification of horticultural crops according to their controlled atmosphere storage potential at optimum
temperatures and relative humidifies

25. • Modify the concentration
of gases in the produce
packing.
• Reduce respiration rate.
• Reduce ethylene action.
• Delay ripening &
senescence.
• Increase product’s shelf
life.
O2
CO2
O2 CO2
21% O2 0.035% CO2

26. 21% Oxigene
0.35% CO2
2% O2
1% CO2
Filters
Cold room
0ºC
Apples, as any living entities..breath

27. Presentation 3.2
• Use of MAP during packing is highly
increasing.
• Usually designed to maintain 2% - 5% of O2
and 8% - 12% of CO2, extend shelf life of fresh-
cut fruits and vegetables.

29. Plastic or cardboard
box
Polymeric film-
perforated one
Apples
Storage temperature-0.5oC

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MAP of mango cv. Mallika
• MAP using 9µ LLDPE cling
film
• Primarily retards the
ripening
• Shelf life at ambient could
be extended up to 15 days
as against only 8-10 days in
control
• No adverse effect of
flavours on ripening
• Less development of
carotenoids
Control MAP
Mallika

31. Why Controlled Atmosphere (CA)?
• Supplementary practice to Refrigeration
• Reduced level of O2
• Elevated level of CO2
• Retain better quality attributes in many fruits and
vegetables
Better Colour
Better Firmness
Better Flavour
• Check microbial attack

32. Delayed ripening due to CA
treatment in cv. Baneshan

33. 33
30 days in CA +
4 days at ambient
30 days in CA +
4 days at 20oC
Chilling Injury

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Retention of curd whiteness
Unscrupulous practice:
Use of Malathion for Retention of curd whiteness!!!!!
Alternative:
10% CO2 treatment, using simple technology

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Whiteness index of cauliflower curds at
0 day and 28 days after harvest

36. 36
Commercial CA storage Facilities in India
Location: Rai, Sonepat Haryana, Capacity: 12,000 MT, Apples

37. 37
Inside view of CA store
Puff panels
Plastic pallet bins

38. 38
Blowers of Refrigeration system
inside CA store

39. 39
Activated carbon CO2 Scrubbing device
Inlet
Outlet

40. 40
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system
for N2 Generation in CA-store
N2 Generator
N2 line for CA store

41. 41
Low cost Technologies

42. 42
Low sugar accumulation in stored potatoes
Initial
After 3 months in Pusa Cool Chamber
Treatment
Thermofogging of CIPC
(Chlorpropham – isopropyl-N-(3-
chlorophenyl) carbamate)
Result:
No Sprouting/ Rooting
No Rotting
No Sugar accumulation
Pusa Cool Chamber

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white button mushroom
• Major problems:
– Browning
– Gill opening
– Stem elongation
– Spoilage
– Very poor marketability
• CaCl2 treatment by
vacuum infiltration
technique is very
effective

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Extending the marketability of white
button mushroom
• Control i.e. untreated
ones- unmarketable within
2 days
• CaCl2 treatment (0.2%) by
vacuum infiltration
• Gill opening
CaCl2 CaCl2 +MAP
5th day after harvest
(18oC, 70-75% RH)
Control
Restricted

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ConventionalIn-package1-MCP
Withnewspaper
shreds
KMnO4treated
shreds
Packaging of Mango cv. Langra for
distant marketing
methylcyclopropene

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Weight loss and spoilage of mango cv Langra after
Long distant transport
Economic analysis
Saving from
a) weight loss (@7%
/truck
= 420kg @ `30/Kg
Rs. 12,600/-
b) Spoilage @ 5%/Truck
=300 Kg @ ` 30/Kg
`Rs. 9,000/-
Total Saving per truck=
Rs. 21,600/-
Cost of treatment =
Rs. 12,000 (approx)
Net saving
Rs. 9600/ truck

47. 47
Conclusion
 Establishment of facilities for hands on training and demonstration
with incubation centres
 Installation of template pack-house for training and demonstration
activities
 On farm value addition
 Use of safe chemical preservatives
 Inter-linking markets
 Green Cargo- concept
 Proper product handling during the post-harvest operation