Postharvest management is complex and multi-faceted, and companies face potential losses in the millions of dollars if wrong decisions are made. Food losses — those that include edible human food lost at postharvest and not consumed for any reason —for fruit and vegetables are well more than 50 percent around the world. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that food losses for fruit and vegetables in North America is 66 percent!Most of these losses come during production, distribution and at the consumer level, with only 6 percent occurring during postharvest handling, storage and packaging. These numbers don't provide a full picture; produce moves through a value chain, and post-packing losses can be due to inferior handling, storage and packing practices. An apple with internal browning or a mealy pear is not a consumer issue, it is a postharvest issue.
展开▼
