INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
CONTRIBUTORS
Quality sells … By Jan Lievens , senior consultant , Applied Postharvest Technologies
As you probably know , our farmers , and many other farmers around the world , grow the best possible product on their vines , in their orchards , and in their fields .
Supplied by Hennie Basson
And you ’ d better believe they do an exceptional job in doing so . But , as stated before , that is 95 % of the job done . The last 5 % is getting that near-perfect product to the end users worldwide , and also that the 5 % gives the farmers 99 % of their income !
One thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore , is that produce does move slower , and quality ( meaning a good quality shelf life ) is getting the prime spot in the factors of importance for end users .
More and more supermarkets overseas are getting very picky on which PUC codes they will accept on their shelves . This year a very prominent UK-based supermarket simply dropped the number of accepted PUC farms drastically . All farms / packhouses have a unique ‘ PUC ’ code or Packhouse Unique Code to trace where the produce comes from .
Furthermore , to facilitate traceability for food safety , quality , sanitary and phytosanitary reasons , all product containers destined for sale on the local as well as export market must be marked with a Food Business Operator code ( FBO code ) in addition to the name and address of the producer , exporter or owner of the carton .
Figure 1 : 10 points to consider along the entire cold chain to ensure quality .
Recently , I was invited to a meeting on postharvest technologies , and the first question I was asked after the usual introductory round was an interesting one : “ You are the postharvest specialist , what do we do wrong after harvesting ?” And that is an interesting one . The well-known idiom ' a chain is only as strong as its weakest link ', has a literal meaning , although the ' weakest link '
referred to is figurative , and usually applies to a person or technical feature rather than the link of an actual chain . In this case of course its the technical issues .
The question posed is very straight forward and simple , but is not so simple to answer . It includes factors in handling the product from the moment you pick , right up until the produce gets delivered on the other side of the world ( in the case of exports ) or local delivery for inland deliveries .
In that trajectory , there are many links that need attention and must be strictly implemented without fooling each other . Figure 1 gives you a better idea .
In the process , there are many factors that play a role , and it would take me far too long to get into detail in this article on each item individually . But the key takeaways here are two issues :
• Attention to detail ; and
• Measure it and you can manage it .
One thing I have learned over the years is that all too often , people want to take short cuts , and , in the process , bamboozle themselves . “ What do we do wrong ?” Well one thing you do right is growing the near-perfect product – it is that simple . But that same product deserves to be handled correctly after you harvest it . When you want to go into detail , I will gladly advise you on where the pitfalls are . Unfortunately , there are many .
It is however absolutely 100 % possible that , when you grow the perfect product , you can get it in the best possible condition – no matter where the end destination may be .
Your future survival depends on this as quality and fresh-looking produce sells and supermarkets worldwide will get more and more selective on who will be ‘ allowed ’ to supply them the quality their customers are looking for .
Jan Lievens , born in Belgium , is a graduate civil engineering ( B ) and international senior consultant for engineered applied postharvest technology at UTE South Africa . With over 20 years of experience in this field , he is widely regarded as a specialist in the fruit- , vegetable- and flower industry with regards to humidity , airborne bacteria and ethylene removal , both locally and internationally . Furthermore , he also designed airflow-friendly packaging systems for the industry with proven results .
Give attention to the last 5 % of your process and you will eventually win the complete race in getting your product where you want it : in front of the consumer who will gladly pay money for quality and that does not matter where in the world !
Preserving quality after harvest does not come by chance . The pressure is now on ! CLA
There are many links that need attention and must be strictly implemented without fooling each other .
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2021 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 35