Need and Importance

UNIT 5 TRANSPORTATION OF FRESH

PRODUCE AND CONTROL OF
LOSSES
Structure

5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Pre-operations and Treatments
Packinghouse Operation
Curing
Degreening
Pre-cooling
Washing
Drying
Waxing
Grading
Sizing
Disinfestation Treatment
5.3 Factors Affecting Transportation of Fresh Produce
5.4 Modes of Transport
5.5 Loading and Unloading
5.6 Palletisation/ Unitization
5.7 Let Us Sum Up
5.8 Key Words
5.9 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises
5.10 Some Useful Books

5.0 OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you should be able to:

• know which mode of transport is suitable for particular condition;
• explain how transportation can influence storage life and the quality of
fresh produce;
• discuss proper loading and unloading techniques for different commodities;
and
• explain the advantages of Palletisation/ unitization.

5.1 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we will discuss about transportation of fresh produce. Transport
refers to carrying a produce from one place to another. Rapid and reliable
transport of fresh fruits and vegetables is of critical importance to successful
marketing. The delay in transport not only affects shelf life and the quality of
fresh produce, but also reduces its value in the market. Transport is an
important link in the handling, storage and distribution of fruits and vegetables.
The transport of produce starts from the field to the assembly points or
collection centres. From these places, bulk transport is undertaken by retailers,
middlemen, wholesalers, processors, exporters and importers at packing
stations, storage plants and shipping points. Several modes of transport are
used to move fresh fruits and vegetables from farm to final consumer. They
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include head load, bullock carts, bicycle, rikshaw, autorikshaw, lorry, boat, Transportation of
Fresh Produce and
ship and aeroplane. All these methods have their own advantages and
Control of Losses
disadvantages. Head load is mostly used for moving small quantities to a
nearby market. This mode of transport is usually in practice in interior areas
where proper roads are not available. Bullock Carts, Bicycle, rikshaw and
autorikshaw are also used for short distance transport, but adequate cushioning
should be provided to the transporting material for avoiding impact damage to
fruits and vegetables in such mode of transport. Boats are used for inland
transport, where as ships carry produce globally. High value products and the
most perishables are always air lifted to the destination market. Knowledge of
these pros and cons of each mode of transportation will help us to select the
suitable mode of transport for an individual commodity.

5.2 PRE-OPERATIONS AND TREATMENTS

5.2.1 Packinghouse Operation

The basic operations in a packinghouse are sorting, sizing, grading and
packing. Depending on the kind of produce, additional activities may include
degreening, curing, washing, bunching, chemical treatments and pre-cooling.
The sequence of activities varies with different crops. These operations are
essential preparatory steps for transportation and subsequent marketing.

5.2.2 Curing
Potato, sweet potatoes, taro, onions, garlic and similar crops are cured prior to
storage or marketing. Injured or bruised surfaces are allowed to heal by
holding for a few days at ambient temperatures. The healing process is
necessary so as not to shorten storage life. Periderm formation during healing
is favoured by high temperature and high humidity. In sweet potatoes, this
condition is most rapid at 30o C with an RH of 95 to 97%. Potato tubers, on the
other hand are held above 20o C for about 2 days and then at 8 o to 15o C for 10
to 12 days at 90 to 95% RH. Another change that occurs during curing is the
reduction of moisture content, especially in onions and garlic. Properly cured
potato tubers have as much as 50% longer storage potential than those uncured
or improperly cured. Curing also reduces rotting. Curing appeared to be
generally more effective at ambient temperature than in cold storage.

5.2.3 Degreening
Degreening is the process of decomposing the green pigments in fruits usually
by applying ethylene (C2H4) or other similar metabolic inducers to give a fruit
its characteristic colour as preferred by consumers. It is applicable to bananas,
mangoes, citrus and tomatoes. The length of time required to degreen a fruit
depends upon the degree of natural colour break and maturity. The lighter the
green colour and the more mature a fruit is, the less time is required to reduce
the chlorophyll to a desirable level.
The degreening process is carried out in special treating rooms with controlled
temperatures and humidity in which low concentrations of C2H4 (about
1:50,000) are applied. The C2H4 can be supplied either as the chemically pure
gas in cylinders or by the old and risky method of using the fumes from the
incomplete combustion of kerosene. The room is thoroughly ventilated to keep
the CO2 at levels (below 1%) that will not hinder colouring. The degreening
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Need and Importance time by this system is 24 to 48 hr. When kerosene fumes are used, the burners
are placed outside the degreening room. The fumes enter the room through
ducts by forced ventilation. Despite the fire hazard involved, the kerosene
fumes produce better coloured fruits than pure C2H4, and it is suggested that
this may be due to the good ventilation provided in the method. The best
degreening temperature is 26°C. It has been found that higher temperatures
delay degreening. The RH should be from 85 to 92%. Humidity levels high
enough to cause condensation during degreening are associated with slow
degreening and increase in decay. Low humidity, although it checks decay,
causes excessive shrinkage, shrivelling and peel breakdown.

5.2.4 Pre-cooling
High temperatures are detrimental to the keeping quality of fruits and
vegetables. However, elevated produce temperature is inevitable, especially
when harvesting is done during hot days. Pre-cooling is a means of removing
this field heat. The general aim is to slow down the respiration of the produce,
minimize the susceptibility to attack of microorganisms, reduce water loss and
ease the load on the cooling system of the transport vehicle or ship's cargo
space. Various methods of pre-cooling may be used.
a) Air cooling
The temperature difference between the coolant and the commodities or
packages must be reduced fast for pre-cooling to be effective. Cooling may
be done fast by the use of coolants such as air, iced water, ice or vacuum.
The temperature of the cooling air must not be below 0°C to avoid
freezing. Prompt storage is essential to achieve the benefits of pre-cooling.
Pre-coolers using air are cold rooms and tunnels. A cold room has a very
intensive air circulation, high refrigerating capacity and fairly low ceilings.
The cold room is advantageous for large-scale operations. Pre-cooling
tunnels are long, narrow cold rooms in which air circulates at high speed.
In forced air pre-cooling, the pre-cooler forces air through the void spaces
of the fruit. The final air temperature is 0 to 1.5°C. Weight loss by forced
air cooling is less than 1%. The pre-cooling operation may take 1 to 1 ½ hr.
b) Hydro-cooling
Hydro-cooling quickly extracts field heat from the produce. It has been
used with advantage for leafy vegetables to retain texture and freshness.
For citrus and some fruits, fungicide in the cooling water may be added to
hold decay within tolerable levels. Fruits cooled with water are apparently
more susceptible to decay upon warming. Sometimes it may lead to
chilling injury (oranges) or damage due to water soaking (citrus). The
hydro-cooling equipment consists of a large tank of iced water, a high
capacity pump for circulating the water to a sprinkler system, and a
conveyor belt for carrying the produce to the sprinkler.
c) Vacuum cooling
Vacuum cooling is the most rapid method of pre-cooling for leafy
vegetables. The principle of vacuum cooler is evaporative cooling. At 29.9
in pressure, water evaporates at 100°C. At 0.018 in water will be vaporized

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 at 0°C. There is 1% water loss for every 6°C reduction in temperature, Transportation of
Fresh Produce and
therefore some water must be added to compensate for this loss. Control of Losses

5.2.5 Washing
As consumers demand clean produce, most fruits and vegetables are washed
after harvesting. Washing improves the appearance of the produce and reduces
the residues of fungicides and insecticides. Washing is not done on soft
delicate and perishables fruits like strawberries. Muskmelons, cucumbers, and
sweet potatoes are usually cleaned by brushing or wiping dry, rather than by
washing.

5.2.6 Drying
Drying removes excess surface water from the fruit or vegetable. This is
facilitated by heated air blown on the fruits or vegetables as they pass through
sponge roller conveyors. Drying may also be done by a series of rotating brush
dryers made of soft bristles. Minimum heat and dryer brush speed should be
used to avoid injury to the fruits.

5.2.7 Waxing
Fruits and vegetables have a natural waxy layer on the outer surface, which is
partly removed by washing. An extra discontinuous layer of wax is applied to
the fruit, which provides the necessary protection against decay organisms.
Waxing is especially important if tiny injuries and scratches on the surface of
the fruit or vegetable are present. These can be sealed by wax. Waxing also
enhances of the gloss of fruits or vegetables. Appearance is therefore
improved, making the produce more acceptable to consumers.

5.2.8 Grading
Fruits and vegetables show considerable variations in quality due to genetic,
environmental and agronomic factors. Therefore grading is necessary to get
suitable returns commensurate with quality.
Grades are based on soundness, firmness, cleanliness, size, weight, colour,
shape, maturity and freedom from foreign matter and diseases, insect damage
and mechanical injury. Whatever the classification, the produce must possess
the minimum qualifications established by the regulatory agencies.

5.2.9 Sizing
After grading, the produce is sized for uniformity. Hand sizing is useful for
small-scale. For large operations, various sizing devices are used, based on
either shape or weight of the produce.
For regular-shaped commodities like citrus, sizers are of many types.
Longitudinal belt and roll sizers are used for some citrus varieties. Size
adjustment can be made quickly from oranges to tangerines to grapefruit.
Central longitudinal belt and roll sizers are of many types or variations, such as
transverse roll and drop roll. The different sizes drop through the canvas
distribution belts and are transported to the packing stations. Perforated belt
sizers consist of a belt or chain having certain size holes or meshes in each
section. Commodities may be moved about on the sizers. Shaking screens with
varying sizes of holes can be used for sizing. Fruits can be vibrated along the
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Need and Importance screen and collected in different sized holes. For small products such as peas
and cherries, a rotating cylinder may be used. The surface of the cylinder
contains many holes or slots formed by metal rods. Commodities such as
cucumbers, pineapples and large root vegetables are sized by diverging belt or
rope grader. For commodities with irregular shapes, sizing is done by weight
of the produce.

5.2.10 Disinfestation Treatment

One of the most important pests in crop production are fruit flies. Papayas,
mangoes, melons and many other fruits are highly susceptible to fruit fly
attacks. Disinfestation treatments do not vary much among fruits. The
disinfestation methods for export of papayas include the vapour heat and EDB
fumigation treatments. An irradiation treatment needs the government
clearance before use.
The vapour-heat treatment, in addition to disinfecting the fruit, controls storage
decay, but it is a relatively expensive operation in terms of initial investment
for equipment and operational cost. Further, it takes a long time of
approximately 15-20 h, and even in properly treated fruits, vapour heat causes
a reduction in the aroma of the fruit pulp.
The fumigation treatment is more economical than the vapour-heat treatment.
The entire treatment time is only about 4 hr, much less than that required for
the vapour-heat method. Furthermore, most of the fruits are not damaged by
the treatment, and storage decay is controlled. Cold treatment is also used for
this purpose but in case of fruits where there is no injury at low temperature.

5.3 FACTORS AFFECTING TRANSPORTATION OF

FRESH PRODUCE
Many opportunities for damage to fruits occur during its transport from field to
the destination market. Impact bruises can occur when bins are dropped during
loading or unloading. Stacking of overfilled containers may cause compression
bruises in fruits and vegetables. Abrasion or vibration bruises may occur when
fruits move or vibrate against rough surfaces or each other during transport.
Bruises and injury reduce saleability of the fruits and vegetables and reduce the
quality and shelf life by enhancing senescence.
The time of harvest or maturity of a product can influence the temperature
required during transit. During harvesting and packaging, several factors may
affect the physiological behaviour of the commodity during transit. These are
(a) maturity at harvest, (b) field temperature and humidity at harvest,
(c) mechanical injury, (d) time between harvest and cooling, (e) type and rate
of pre-cooling, (f) sanitation of packing facilities and (g) use of brushes, dips,
sprays and fumigants.
Factors affecting transportation depend upon
• Product handling
• In-transit temperature and humidity
• Air circulation and ethylene removal
• Compression/abrasion during movement

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Poor handling of produce during loading and unloading of transport vehicle Transportation of
Fresh Produce and
results in high post-harvest losses. In our country, containers, rail wagons and
Control of Losses
road vehicles are loaded by hands, implying that each package is manually
lifted and dropped 4-10 times between harvest and consumption. Further, most
often casual labours are hired for this work. As casual labours have no or little
knowledge of handling fresh fruits and vegetables, the risk of quality
deterioration of fruits and vegetables increases.
Each commodity must be transported under optimum conditions of
temperature and humidity. Fruits should be protected from high temperature in
the field after harvesting. Wherever possible, harvested fruits should be moved
to the shade until transport. During transport, speedy handling is done for the
protection of the commodity.
Fresh fruits and vegetables in packages have two environments, one inside the
package and other one outside. Controlling outside environment does not
necessarily control the environment inside the package. Mostly fresh produce
is packed in corrugated fibreboard, which is a poor conductor of heat. When
the produce generates heat and gives off water, it may affect the packaging
material resulting in collapse of carton. When such a package is transferred in
cold environment, and if the rate of heat production exceeds the rate of heat
transfer, the product will get hotter, and the increased respiration rate will
result in higher vapour production. If the walls of package become colder than
the air inside the package, moisture given off by the produce can condense on
the inside of package walls resulting in collapse of carton. Therefore,
circulation of air inside package is important to maintain uniform temperature
through out the package. Further, air circulation helps in removal of ethylene
from the produce, which is necessary for maintaining the optimum quality of
fruits and vegetables.
Packing and mode of transport selected should be such that it causes no or
minimum vibration and bruising injury to the product. Vibration and bruising
are the major causes of spoilage of fruits and vegetables during transport. To
avoid vibration and bruising injury, cushioning material should be used.
Shipping containers
Packaging for shipping and handling requires appropriate engineered
containers to protect produce from bruising, vibration and the weight of other
stacked containers. The ideal pack consists of a tight fill without a bulge in a
lidded container having sufficient stacking strength to protect the contents
under all handling conditions. Any shipping container should be designed to
meet the specific requirements of the particular fruit or vegetable.
In more developed countries, many shipping containers are used only once,
and are not returned to the shipper. In less developed countries, baskets and
boxes are often returned for reuse.
Shipping containers should be labelled with large print to specify the
commodity, variety, weight or count, grade and source.
Wooden containers can be the strongest and most rigid type of shipping
container, but strength depends on the thickness of materials used. Common
types include: nailed wooden boxes and crates, wire bound boxes and crates,
ply wood boxes, bulk bins or pallet boxes and wooden pallets. Pallets are
platform devices used as a base for assembling, storing and handling or
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Need and Importance shipping other containers in a unit load. The base may be a 2-way or 4-way
type to allow entry of types of powered forklift or hand pallet trucks.
Fiberboard (corrugated) cartons are becoming popular for shipping both
tropical and subtropical produce. Their light weight and low cost are
advantages. However, they have the disadvantage that some types absorb
moisture and lose strength and thus stacking height may be limited in areas or
in storage where RH is high. The strength of fiberboard cartons may be
increased with stronger base materials, with internal dividers, extra liners or by
using full telescope type cartons with two outer walls. Strength and moisture
resistance may also be aided by resin and paraffin wax coatings. Waxed
cartons filled with produce may be hydro-cooled and top iced or have
packaged ice enclosed.
Fiberboard cartons are also common for mature green tomatoes and avocados
and as master containers for consumer-packaged vegetables, such as
cellophane-wrapped cauliflower, trays of tomatoes and polyethylene bags of
carrots or other root crops.
Mesh, burlap and multi wall paper bags may be used to ship onions, cabbage
and potatoes. Some types of paper bags have special wet strength properties
that allow use of package ice for non pre-cooled carrots and sweet corn.
Bulk packs
Bulk boxes or pallet bins occasionally are used as shipping containers for fruits
and vegetables going to terminal market warehouses to be repacked in
consumer packages. Fruits and vegetables for processing, such as tomatoes,
carrots, sweet potatoes, citrus and pineapples are often shipped in bulk boxes.
Bulk boxes may be constructed of plywood, sawn lumber, wirebound veneer,
fiberboard, wire or combinations of these materials.
The advantages of bulk boxes over field boxes of equivalent capacity, are
lower cost, rapid loading of transport vehicles and replacement of costly
manual labour. Also with bulk boxes, storage or warehouse facilities can be
utilized more fully and properly designed bins easily withstand stacking loads.
Consumer packages
Consumer-sized packages for produce consist only of having a supply of paper
or plastic bags available for customers to select, package and weigh their
purchases. With such packaging, standard sized units are packed after washing
or grading. Each unit is labelled as to commodity, weight or count, brand,
source and other information and the consumer units are packed in master
shipping containers usually made of fiberboard.
Consumer packages are of the following types: (a) bags made of paper, film or
cotton or plastic mesh; (b) trays of moulded pulp, paperboard, plastic or
foamed plastic; (c) folding paperboard cartons, sometimes with a clear plastic
window or with dividers for individual fruits; and (d) small rectangular or
round baskets, punnets or cups of moulded pulp, plastic, veneer or coated or
waxed paperboard. Moulded vacuum-formed plastic trays may be made of
polystyrene or polypropylene. Foamed plastic trays are usually of polystyrene.

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Stacking containers Transportation of
Fresh Produce and
The nature of the container and the manner of stacking are important factors Control of Losses
that influence cooling in storage or transport. An elaborate system for air
distribution is useless if poor stacking prevents airflow; air follows the path of
least resistance. Generalizations on stacking arrangements are difficult with the
large variety of containers in use for different commodities. A distance of 2-3
inches between rows of boxes or cartons is desirable. Rows should be laid out
so that the direction of airflow is along rather than across the rows. Loaded
pallets or pallet boxes in storage should be formed in straight lines to provide
about 4 to 6 in of space between rows.
Special precautions should be taken in stacking containers on pallets so that as
much container surface as possible is exposed to moving air to speed cooling.
With fiberboard cartons, cooling may be more difficult because, having no
bulge or slats, as do many wood containers, they may be stacked too tight.
Produce in unventilated cartons cools very slowly and often stays appreciably
warmer than the surrounding air during storage. Bulge packed cartons or boxes
should not be stacked so that the weight rests on the produce, but should be
stacked on their sides; or wood cleats or stripping may be needed to avoid
crushing or bruising the products.

5.4 MODES OF TRANSPORT

The mode of transport of fresh horticultural commodity depends on distance to
market, perishability and value of product, and the cost of transportation
method. Before selection of the mode of transport a consideration must be
given to
• Kind, variety, and condition of commodity
• Distance to market
• Price of the commodity
• Transit environment
• Cost of the transport
Different modes of transport used for horticultural crops include:
• Road transport
• Rail transport
• Water transport
• Air transport
Road transport
The most common transport used world wide, and because of its flexibility,
door-to-door delivery, fast, easy to load and unload; and general improvement
in road conditions its use has been in rise. However, this method is energy
intensive, expensive and needs a relatively developed road infrastructure.
In our country land transport is mostly done with open non refrigerated trucks.
It results in high losses of produce due to warming. But for short distance
transport natural ventilation is always sufficient to prevent losses due to
heating. It is advisable to use refrigerated van for long distance transport.

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Need and Importance Transport by road is the most important, and will continue to be the
predominant mode of transport in the developing countries. It offers the
benefits of great flexibility in operation, suitability for short hauls and possible
door-to-door service with all the implied conveniences of loading and
unloading. However, it depends upon road conditions, transport service
available and organization of transport services. Connecting roads may be
inaccessible during rainy months and bridges may become unsafe. Because of
inadequate roads, high freight rates may be charged to transporters.
Another difficulty is that in produce transported by public vehicles, handlers
and passengers have no regard for the safety and quality of the product. Often,
if commodities are carried together with passengers, public vehicles deviate
from direct routes to get more passengers, and there is delay in transport.
For more systematic and advanced transport facilities, e.g. refrigerated truck
vans, are required. Although, use of modern facilities will increase the cost of
the product in the markets, it can be compensated by supply of quality product
to the consumers. For short trips, the product can be washed, disinfected,
dipped in cold water and immediately placed in ice cold insulated vans.
Sometimes the short periods transport can be done in a non-refrigerated but
pre-cooled vehicle also. If the distance to the market is such that product
temperature would be undesirably high despite provision for pre-cooling and
insulation, dispensable refrigerants such as ice, dry ice, eutectic solutions or
liquid nitrogen may be used. Application of these refrigerants depends not only
on the duration of trip and transport temperature but also on the cost and
availability of the refrigerant. If still longer transport time is expected, then the
use of mechanical refrigerating machinery in the vehicle should be done.
The fundamental considerations for transport over short and long distances are
as follows:
1. In transport of short duration, the product should be protected against
mechanical injury and exposure to extreme temperatures. The produce
should be moved in a direct and consistent direction as much as possible
and should not retrace its tracks.
2. For transport over long distances, there is an added risk of product
deterioration due to excessive heating and wilting, inception of decay
causing organisms, chilling, softening of succulent commodities or
ripening of fruits. Hence, provision for more sophisticated facilities is
recognized more than ever and is one of the many urgent problems in the
tropics, despite the high capital investments involved.
Rail transport
Although slower than road transport, it can provide vibration free ride at
relatively less cost. However, this system of transport is declining significantly
due to its less versatility and inaccessibility with production site. For short
distances the rail transport is usually completed within 5 hour, which can help
in avoiding refrigeration. For long distances, the rail transport is often
preferable to road transport provided it is frequent and dependable.
Refrigeration is needed and is more easily arranged by rail than by road.
Because it is imperative to protect the product during this long shipment,
refrigeration principles and practices must be followed.

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Water transport Transportation of
Fresh Produce and
River transport is slow, but it can be used for non-refrigerated commodities. Control of Losses
Sea transport is usually used for long distances, and use of refer containers
offers a cheap method of transport in comparison to air transport.
Facilities of boats and vessels should be made available for river and sea
transport. Frequent and improper commodity handlings often offset any cost
advantage of water transport. With the advances in containerization the
improvements in the international sea transport are happening. Refrigerated
vans or trailers are now being used, which are crane-lifted to the ship, and
greatly minimizing dock-to-ship handling.
Air transport
One of the most dramatic developments in the transportation of perishables is
airfreight. Air transport is mostly done on passenger airplanes with a little
quantities of crop being carried on cargo. Products can be sold in markets
thousands of kilometers away only a day after harvest. This transport is
relatively fast, making it suitable for very perishable commodities, but cost
incurred in transportation is very high.
Use of air transport is very limited despite its speed due to:
a) the high cost per kg,
b) disruption of flight schedules due to bad weather,
c) traffic in handling of produce at air terminals,
d) the distance from the production or consignment centres to the airport and
then from the airport to the market upon arrival at destination,
e) uncertain amount of cargo space available on scheduled flights and
With the advent of jet and jumbo planes, however, air transport offers vast
possibilities. The lower operating cost per ton/km with even faster schedules
has already resulted in an increase in air-transported fruit and vegetables.
Prospect of air transport should not be evaluated solely on the basis of reduced
operating cost, but also on the gains from premium consumer prices due to
better quality of vine- or tree-ripened produce. Airport product-handling
facilities and ancillary services are expected to improve as a result of current
developments in aviation technology.

5.5 LOADING AND UNLOADING

It is very important to have proper loading and unloading procedure, as both
the steps can damage the product integrity and render it unfit for human
consumption. The product must be packed in appropriate container. Weak
packages and their enclosed contents are more prone to damage during
transport. There must be minimum damage to the product during loading and
unloading operations.

5.6 PALLETISATION/ UNITIZATION

In advance countries almost all horticultural packages are unitized for
handling. The packages must be designed for secure palletisation. The package
77
Need and Importance must withstand expected stresses in the stacking column. If the packages are
cross-stacked, their vents must be located on both ends and sides to allow air
circulation through all packages on the pallet. The package dimensions must be
compatible with pallet dimensions.
Some advantages of palletization include:
a) Savings in handling costs averaging 40 to 45%;
b) reduced handling time;
c) fewer personnel accidents by substituting mechanical or manual handling
and lifting;
d) more efficient utilization of storage space;
e) reduced product damage; and
f) uniform stacking of produce.

# Check Your Progress Exercise 1

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
1. What are the different modes of transport used in our country?
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2. Why air circulation during transport is important?
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3. How vibration and bruising injury can be avoided during transport?
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4. In your view what mode of transport should be used for high value fresh Transportation of
Fresh Produce and
horticultural produce for export market and why?
Control of Losses
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5. What different modes of transport can be used in for Delhi market?
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6. Why proper loading and unloading procedures are important?
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7. How palletisation helps during transport?
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Need and Importance 8. In your view which mode of transport should be used for fresh horticultural
produce for export market?
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5.7 LET US SUM UP

Transport of fresh produce is necessary to make sure its availability to the
consumers. Although several methods of transport are available, a suitable
method is selected based on value of the crop and distance of market. It is of
paramount importance to have proper handling before and during transport to
avoid any injury to the produce and to have more shelf life.

5.8 KEY WORDS

Transport : Movement of the product

Ethylene : A colourless flammable gas which stimulates

ripening

Respiration : Process of hailing oxygen and exhaling carbon-

di-oxide

Pre-cooling : Process of cooling fruits and vegetables

immediately after harvesting

Waxing : Coating of fruit surface with food grade paraffin

Refer container : Containers used for transport of fruits and

vegetables, which can be cooled to refrigerated
temperature.

Perishable : Commodity having short life cycle

Pelletization : Stacking the product in a definite area as a single

unit

Unitization : Stacking the product in a definite area a single

unit

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 Transportation of
5.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
EXERCISES
" Fresh Produce and
Control of Losses
Check Your Progress Exercise 1

1. Your answers should include following points:

• Road
• Rail
• Ship
• Aeroplane

2. Your answers should include following points:

• Temperature regulation
• Ethylene removal

3. Your answers should include following points:

• Proper cushioning
• Infrastructure development

4. Your answers should include following points:

• Air
• Fast quality deterioration

5. Your answers should include following points:

• Road
• Rail

6. Your answers should include following points:

• Impact injury
• Quality deterioration

7. Your answers should include following points:

• Uniform stacking
• Proper ventilation
• Avoids injuries

8. Your answers should include following points:

• Air
• Sea

5.10 SOME USEFUL BOOKS

1. Kader, A.A. (1992). Post-harvest Technology of Horticultural Crops.
University of California Publication No 3311, Oakland, Calf.

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Need and Importance 2. Pantastico, Er. B. (1975) Post-harvest physiology, handling and utilization
of tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables. AVI Pub. Co. Inc.,
Westport, Connecticut
3. Ryall, A.L. and Lipton, W.J. (1979) Handling, Transportation and Storage
of fruits and vegetables. Vol. 1, Fruits and Nuts, AVI Pub. Co.
4. Ryall, A.L. and Lipton, W.J. (1979) Handling, Transportation and Storage
of fruits and vegetables. Vol. 2, 2nd Ed. − Vegetables and Melons. AVI
Pub. Co.
5. Salunkhe, D.K. and Desai, B.B., Boca Raton, N.W. (1984) Post-harvest
biotechnology of vegetables. Vol. 1 and 2, CRC Press, Inc., Florida,
6. Salunkhe, D.K., Kadam, S.S. (1995) Handbook of fruit science and
technology: Production, composition, storage, and processing. Marcel
Dekker, Inc. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, New York.
7. Salunkhe, D.K., Kadam, S.S. (1998) Handbook of vegetable science and
technology: Production, composition, storage, and processing, Marcel
Dekker Inc. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, New York.
8. Weichman, J. and Basel (1987) Post-harvest physiology of vegetable.
Marcel Dekker Inc., New York
9. Wills, R.B.H., Lee, T.H., Graham, D., McGlasson, W.B. and Hall, E.G.
(1981) Post-harvest: An introduction to the physiology and handling of
fruits and vegetables. AVI Publishing Co. Westport, Conn.

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