Post harvesting management includes processes done immediately after harvesting produce like cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing. It is important as crops begin deteriorating after harvesting. Post harvesting largely determines final quality and minimizes 40% losses in fruits and vegetables due to improper handling, storage, packaging and transportation. Losses occur due to lack of infrastructure, technical support and organized marketing. Deterioration is caused by microorganisms, enzymes, insects and environmental factors like temperature and moisture. Proper post harvesting practices like pre-cooling, modified atmosphere packaging and storage in zero energy cool chambers can extend shelf life.

2. What is Post Harvesting Management ?
• Post Harvest Management includes the processes
done immediately after harvesting the produce,
including cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing. The
instant a crop is removed from the ground, or separated
from its parent plant, it begins to deteriorate. Therefore
Postharvest treatment are given to increase its shelf life
and maintain its quality. Thus post harvest
management largely determines final quality.

3. Post harvest?
For minimizing the qualitative as
well as quantitative losses after
harvesting.
• 40% losses in fruits and
vegetables due to improper
handling, storage, packaging
and transportation

4. Reasons For Losses
• Lack of clear concept of packing house operations.
• Lack of awareness among the growers, contractors and even the
policy makers.
• Lack of infrastructure.
• Late realization of its importance.
• Inadequate technical support.
• Inadequate post-harvest quality control.
• Unorganized marketing.
• Absence of pre-cooling and cold storage.
• Inadequate market facilities, market intelligence and market
information service (MIS) • Poor storage facilities.

5. Causes of food deterioration
1. Growth of micro organisms
2. Activities of natural food enzymes
3. Insects, parasites and rodents
4. Temperature
5. Moisture
6. Air
7. Light and time

6. Reasons for Losses of Vegetables
1. Handling of raw produce through many stages of
middlemen.
2. Very low or almost negligible management and
processing which leads to losses even in valuable by
products. (like pea pods)
3. On availability of cold chain and efficient equipment
and machinery for processing in catchment areas.
4. Low level of entrepreneurial urge in rural areas due to
constraints of finance, assur

7. Factors affecting post harvest losses
1. Variety
2. Management
3. Method and stage of harvesting
4. Improper grading and packing
5. Storing
6. Transport and marketing (Physical and
mechanical damage)

8. Post Harvest Handling Operations
1. Pre-harvest maturity indication
2. Curing after harvest,
3. Sorting
4. Pre-cooling before storage,
5. Washing & removal of surface moisture,
6. Modified Atmos Packaging
7. Dehydration & Packaging
8. Crushing and packing
9. Value addition like ketchup, pickles

9. Benefits of Cooling of Vegetables
1. Reduces respiration: lessens perishability
2. Reduces transpiration: lessens water loss, less
shriveling
3. Reduces ethylene production: slows ripening
4. Decreases activity of micro-organisms
5. Reduces browning and loss of texture, flavor and
nutrients

10. Pre harvest factors on post harvest quality
1. Temperature
2. Relative Humidity
3. Nutrition
4. Irrigation
5. Growth regulators

11. Pre harvest control measerus
1. Curing – is most simple effective method to
prevent storage loss & decay
2. Grading
3. Packaging – Is a basic tool in PHM of highly
perishable commodities like fruit & vegetables.

12. Major causes of Post Harvest Losses
1. Metabolic Grading
2. Mechanical
3. Developmental
4. Parasitic diseases
5. Physiological deterioration
6. Lack of market demand

13. Storage Life in Zero Energy Cool Chamber
Fruit/Vegetables Months Storage Life (days)
Ambient conditions
Cool Chamber
Bitter gourd May-June 2 6
Carrot Feb.-March 5 12
Cauliflower Feb.-March 7 12
Cucumber May-June 3 8
Green chilies May-June 3 6
Kinnow January-March 8 60
Ladies finger May-June 1 6
Mango July 8 15
Peas Feb.-March 5 10
Plum June 4 10
Spinach Feb.-March 3 8

14. Zero Energy Cool Chamber

15. Mobile Cool Chamber
• The insulated box was designed such that it could hold 8 plastic crates of
size 540x360x295 mm in two layer of four each
• Capacity of storage was 100 kg of fruits with 80% filling of each plastic
crates • Costs around Rs. 18,000- 20,000/-

16. Refrigerated transport
• Further a refrigeration unit is mounted on top for cooling the solution of ethylene glycol and
salt stored in the jacket of insulated box.
• This solution is cooled to subzero temperature by running the refrigeration unit by plugging
to power source for 8-10 hours before use.
• The refrigerated transport vehicle can lower the product temperature up to 5 °C.
• The wattage of compressor is 0.65 kW.

17. Solar Tunnel Dryer
• It consists of a tunnel type semi - cylindrica drying chamber
• Trolleys and trays are provided to hold one tonne and two tonnes of raw material.
• The reduction in drying time compared to (60 %) compared to open sun drying as
a result of higher inside temperature of about 22 - 25°C

18. Modified Atmosphere Packaging Technology
Extended Shelf Life 9 days for Okra, 13 days for betel leaf and 7-8 days for broccoli

19. Effect of processing on nutrients
Nutrient Process Effect
Protein Heating Coagulation and
shrinkage
Carbohydrat
es
Heating Gelatinization
Vitamin A Heating
Drying
Milling
Nutritional loss
Vitamin B Sterilizatio
n, use of
alkali
Nutritional loss
Vitamin C Cooking Nutritional loss

20. PROCESSING

21. INDIA
Production of fruits
and vegetable
27
crores tonnes
18 %
wastage
2-5 %
processing
Cluster based mega
food parks are
developed under
12th Plan

22. Fruits
4.5 lakh tonnes
Vegetables
1.5 lakh tonnes
Himachal
the
FRUIT BOWL
of India
HIMCOOP
Bhuntar
(1968)
SAMRIDHI
Kallu Di Hatti
(Morinda)
(1995-96)

23. • Food processing is the transformation of raw
ingredients, by physical or chemical means
into food, or of food into other forms

24. Methods of
Processing
Old
Sun drying
Freezing
Fermentation
Pickling
Jam and jelly
Canning
Modern
Vacuum drying
Freezing
Canning
Pickling
Jam and jelly
Canning
irradiation

26. Advantages of Processing
Advantages
• Improves digestibility
• Promotes palatability
• Sterilized the food by killing
harmful bacteria and other
micro-organism
• Improves shelf life
• Provides fast, convenient and
attractive food for consumers
• Provides portable and less
perishable foods
• Ease of shipping
• Helps in providing functional
foods having bio active
components (Patients)
Disadvantages
• Food processing removes
some of the nutrients,
vitamins and fiber present in
the food.
• Makes use of sweetners,
large quantities of chemical
additives and preservatives

27. THANKS