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Environmental conditions encountered during typical consumer retail display affect fruit and vegetable quality and waste
Authors:M Cecilia N Nunes  Jean Pierre Emond  Mary Rauth  Sharon Dea  Khe V Chau
Institution:1. Center for Food Distribution and Retailing, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida - IFAS, PO Box 11, Gainesville, FL 32611-0720, USA;2. Center for Food Distribution and Retailing, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, University of Florida - IFAS, PO Box 110570, Gainesville, FL 32611-0570, USA;3. Center for Food Distribution and Retailing, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida - IFAS, PO Box 110690, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690, USA;1. Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;2. Food and Environmental Health Unit, Section of Health, P.O. Box 210, 02070 City of Espoo, Finland;1. Institute of Commodity Storage and Processing, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830091, People’s Republic of China;2. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830046, People’s Republic of China;1. College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China;2. Food Quality Laboratory, USDA ARS, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;3. Environmental Microbiology and Food Safety Laboratory, USDA ARS, 10300 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, USA;5. College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China;1. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900 Minas Gerais, Brazil;2. Department of Statistics, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900 Minas Gerais, Brazil
Abstract:Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are the most important environmental factors affecting the sensory quality of fresh produce, and therefore, the consumer acceptability for fruits and vegetables displayed in a produce department. Poor temperature management inevitably occurs in commercial handling and reduces the quality and maximum potential shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Since there is a lack of information on the actual temperatures registered inside local distribution trucks or in consumer retail displays, and the effects on the produce quality, the current study was designed to evaluate the segment of the distribution chain that comprises the time the produce arrives from the distribution center to the store, is displayed at the store, and then stored under household conditions. Temperature and RH were recorded in three different produce departments, at reception and during a 6-week retail display period. Truck and produce temperatures were collected immediately upon opening of the doors, and display temperatures were monitored inside 27 refrigerated and non-refrigerated retail displays. Visual quality of 37 different produce items was evaluated, and surface or pulp temperatures were measured immediately upon unloading from the delivery truck. Reasons for produce waste were recorded on a daily basis during a 6-week period. Shelf life studies were conducted under simulated household conditions using samples collected at the stores. Results from this study showed that chilling-sensitive commodities were transported under too cold conditions, whereas heat-sensitive commodities were transported under too warm conditions. Visual quality of the produce received at the store ranged from good to poor depending on the fruit or vegetable evaluated, with raspberry receiving the lowest visual quality score in 6.7% of store deliveries, and banana, fresh-cut vegetables, peach and pineapple receiving the best visual quality score in 100% of store deliveries. Temperatures measured inside retail displays showed a wide variation, depending on the store and location inside the display, ranging from ?1.2 °C to 19.2 °C in refrigerated displays and from 7.6 °C to 27.7 °C in non-refrigerated displays. RH ranged from 55.9% to 92.9% in refrigerated displays and from 29.7% to 86.6% in non-refrigerated displays. Poor temperature management was the major cause of produce waste (55%) whereas expired date and mechanical damage accounted for 45% of the produce wasted. Results from this study show that fruits and vegetables are often handled under adverse environmental conditions, resulting in produce with poor quality and shorter shelf life, and increased waste at the retail and consumer levels.
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