Cold Link Africa November / December 2019 | Page 34

CONTRIBUTORS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
you harvest your fruit, you literally cut witnessed table grapes that were taken
the umbilical cord and your fruit goes right after the receiving cooler, in other
into shock. That is why it is of the utmost words, after the initial pre-cool phases.
importance to do the right thing from
Already the drying stems were
the moment you lift your harvest scissors showing, and the damage inflicted
and cut. is irreversible. The stress on the stems,
After that point, any inflicted although at first sight minimal, is already
postharvest damage accumulates there and no matter what you do from
and only shows up at the end, often this point onwards, the damage is done
unnoticed by the packhouse. When and will show up on the shelves. And
I pointed out the dry stem after the when I looked further in the processing
packaging process in the boxes, some chain at the same batches, and when
of the packhouse managers told me pointed out to all involved, it became
straight up, “I did not pack that. It would clear that a change in approach is
never pass my quality-control process.” needed.
So, are we witnessing the birth of a The advantage, of course, is that I
new species of people, the packhouse could follow the grapes from packaging
magician? No, not really. As stated in Egypt, right through the packaging
Once you harvest your fruit, you literally cut the umbilical cord and your fruit goes into shock. before, the sooner people realise that process, until arriving on the shelves
table grapes are another kettle of fruit, in South Africa. But very often the
Y the better. I was recently approached same happens with our South African
es, I know, the expression is all out some healthy berries that were still by the Besseling Group of Companies table grapes exported worldwide, or
about a different kettle of fish. Yet, on the vine with a very healthy stem in the Netherlands, specialists in storing with Chilean, Peruvian, Argentinian,
the expression is just as relevant for connection. The berries were sugar fruit, that is, controlled atmosphere Australian, or with any other table grape
table grapes. The sooner farmers sweet and the degrees Brix (the sugar (CA), ultra-low oxygen (ULO), dynamic growing area for that matter.
understand that, their postharvest content of an aqueous solution) was controlled atmosphere (DCA), and approach will be so much easier. sky-high. so on, and they were adamant, “Our not come by chance. The guys that
The berry was kept intact by the slogan is the art of storage and we look understand this have very different results
a point when visiting a farmer whose mother plant through the stem. The after a lot of fruit with great success, but as they realised that this statement is so
season had ended and where the mother plant always looks after its table grapes we will leave for you!” And true that it is in fact scary. The postharvest
vineyards were slowly going into their offspring. Again, Mother Nature never that is a compliment for sure. approach in the industry must change,
resting phase. While taking a walk breaks her own laws – not yesterday, through the vineyard, I could point not today and not tomorrow. Once
On my last visit to Egypt, I proved
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On a site visit to a vineyard that
supplies a popular retail outlet, I
Preserving quality after harvest does
and the sooner the industry starts doing
that, the better.
CLA
COLD LINK AFRICA • November/December 2019