This set of standards is published within the framework of the activities of the Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables set up by OECD in 1962. It comprises comments and illustrations to facilitate the common interpretation of standards in force and is therefore a valuable tool for both the Inspection Authorities and professional bodies responsible for the application of standards or interested in the international trade in these products
Quality has many meanings - for this exercise it is defined in terms of objective measures that relate to the consumers experience of eating quality. The drivers behind the consumers experience of eating quality (e.g. taste, texture, smell), and the major assessable parameters relating to this experience (e.g. sugar content, acid content, dry matter content, juiciness, texture, firmness and volatiles content) are briefly reviewed, and existing (research literature, government bodies and retailer) standards on these parameters summarised. Achieving these standards has traditionally involved destructive testing of a relatively small proportion of the fruit harvested, and, as such, these standards have generally been poorly implemented. The applicability of new non-invasive technologies, such as near infrared spectroscopy, for assessment of every item of fruit for certian attributes is discussed with reference to existing standards. The uptake of these technologies will be discussed with reference to drivers in the supply chain, with examples given of successes and failures.
In pome fruit cultivation, apples and pears need to be handled in various processes such as harvesting and sorting. Currently, most processes require a vast amount of manual labor. Combined with a structural shortage of seasonal workers, innovation in this field is crucial. Automated processes could provide a solution wherein the search for an appropriate manipulation tool is essential. Aside from several grippers, customized for harvesting by various researchers, the industry also provides a wide variety of standardized manipulation tools. This paper benchmarks a wide set of the most relevant gripping principles, primarily based on their ability to successfully handle fruit, without causing damage. In addition, energy consumption and general feasibility are evaluated as well. The performed study showed that the customized foam gripper scores the overall best for all test scenarios at the cost of being the least energy efficient. Furthermore, most other gripping tools excelled at certain specific tasks rather than being generally deployable. Impactive grippers are better suited for harvesting at low energy consumption, while astrictive grippers are more suited for sorting tasks constricted by the available space. The results also showed that commercially available soft grippers are not always capable of handling sensitive fruits such as pears without causing damage. ; Flemish governmental authority VLAIO [HBC2019.2051, 1SA9221N]
Over the past 20 years the number of standards and certification programs for agricultural production has grown rapidly. Producers who want to export are confronted not only by a plethora of import regulations, but also within import countries by different niche markets for which specific requirements have to be fulfilled. While the adoption of voluntary standards may grant export opportunities to farmers, they can also be considered barriers to entry for those who cannot apply them either because they are too onerous or because of the lack of knowledge about their requirements. In fact, some producers and exporters increasingly regard private standards as non-tariff barriers to trade. New and more stringent standards are being developed year after year, and there is an urgent need to determine today, and in the future, the extent to which these govern world trade. This report gives an overview of standards and certification programs relevant for fruit and vegetable producers and exporters in developing countries with a focus on the markets of the United States and the European Union. In addition, it gives an overview of current analytical work on standards and trade, reviews major assistance programs related to standards and provides recommendations for further research.--Publisher's description
1 History and Growth of Fruit Processing -- 2 Harvesting, Handling, and Holding Fruit -- 3 Fruit Washing, Peeling, and Preparation for Processing -- 4 Seasonal Suitability of Fruits for Processing -- 5 Factors Affecting Microflora in Processed Fruits -- 6 Canning of Fruits -- 7 Freezing Fruits -- 8 Dehydration of Fruits -- 9 Brining Cherries and Other Fruits -- 10 Other Products and Processes -- 11 Flavor and Color of Fruits as Affected by Processing -- 12 Composition and Nutritive Value of Raw and Processed Fruits -- 13 Grades and Standards for Raw and Processed Fruits -- 14 Storage Life of Canned, Frozen, Dehydrated, and Preserved Fruits -- 15 Plant Sanitation and Waste Disposal -- 16 Fruit Consumption Trends and Prospects.
AbstractThe hypothesis that six EU Member States show a common behaviour on the implementation of food safety standards on fruit and vegetables imports is examined. To do so, we analyzed food border notifications recorded by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Path dependence and reputation effects of past border notifications were explored for the whole period 2001–13, and for sub‐periods 2001–07 and 2008–13. Negative binomial (NB) and zero‐inflated negative binomial (ZINB) distributions were used to deal with over‐dispersion and excess of zero counts. Our findings suggest that the EU cannot be considered as a single unit when non‐tariff measures are studied, although there are some signs that Member State behaviour is becoming more uniform in the most recent period.
This study investigated the practice of artificial fruit ripening among fruit vendors of banana, plantain, mango and pawpaw in Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Two objectives, corresponding research questions and null hypotheses guided the study. The population for the study comprised all the accessible 1,810 fruit vendors in Rivers East senatorial district. A sample size of 472 fruit vendors was drawn using multi-stage sampling procedure. A validated self-structured questionnaire titled 'Practice of Artificial Fruit Ripening' with inter-scale reliability co-efficient of 0.896 was used as instrument for data collection. The descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while inferential statistics of Z-test and One-Way Analysis of Variance were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. It was found that fruit vendors in Rivers State sometimes practiced artificial fruit ripening using chemical and non-chemical methods. It was also discovered that regardless of their level of education and years of experience in the fruit business, the fruit vendors sometimes indulged in unhealthy practice of artificial fruit ripening. More so, the study revealed significant difference in practice among the fruit vendors in Rivers State based on level of education and years of experience. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the current practice of artificial fruit ripening in Rivers State is not in tandem with global best practices and therefore portend danger to the wellbeing of Rivers people and other Nigerians. The study therefore recommended among others that; community health workers should carry-out regular and effective health awareness campaigns concerning the dangers of using chemicals to ripen fruits. The Government of Rivers State through the Ministry of Agriculture should organise training programmes for fruit vendors on faster, safer, and economically feasible methods of fruits ripening and other ...
This paper reviews changing income distributions in the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands, treating the three countries as leading economic performers in ' the three worlds of welfare capitalism.' Previous analyses have shown that earnings dispersion is increasing. The potential impact of government through the tax and transfer system has been largely ignored. It is shown that in the United States and Germany changes in market incomes favored the upper quintiles and that the bottom quintile became worse off. Government did nothing to reverse these trends. In the Netherlands the trend in market incomes was similar but the government redistributed, so that the bottom quintile' s post-government income increased along with the other quintiles. Data come from the PSID-GSOEP Equivalent File and the Dutch Socio-Economic Panel.
Fresh fruit and vegetables have been identified as a significant source of pathogens and chemical contaminants. As a result, there has been a wealth of research on identifying and controlling hazards at all stages in the supply chain. Improving the safety of fresh fruit and vegetables reviews this research and its implications for food processors. Part one reviews the major hazards affecting fruit and vegetables such as pathogens and pesticide residues. Building on this foundation, Part two discusses ways of controlling these hazards through such techniques as HACCP and risk assessment. The final part of the book analyses the range of decontamination and preservation techniques available, from alternatives to hypochlorite washing systems and ozone decontamination to good practice in storage and transport. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Improving the safety of fresh fruit and vegetables is a standard reference for all those involved in fruit and vegetable production and processing. Reviews recent research on controlling hazards at all stages of the supply chainDiscusses the implications of this research on food processorsDiscusses the implications of this research on food processors
Based on the number of bearing trees and realized production in investigated period (2000-2009) in fruit production in Serbia, the most important fruits are plums, apples, and cherries. With an average production of 482,000 tones, plums contribute 44.90% of total fruit production followed by apples (19.20%), and sour cherries and raspberries with an average share of 7.55% each. Analysis of the investigated period reveals a tendency of the fruit production increase. Trend of increase was especially evident in plum production (rate of change 9.81%), followed by apple (7.42%), apricot (7.31%), peach (6.83%) and cherry 6.64%. From 2010 to 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republic of Serbia adopted measures through the National Program of Agriculture for the development of fruit and viticulture production. The measures primarily relate to the production and distribution of planting material, cultural technology with special emphasis on organic production, logistics, quality and standards for packaging. At this time, there is a great opportunity for the adoption of quality production from the choice of certified planting materials and modern variety selections to revolutionize this branch of agriculture. Serbia has many natural advantages for fruit production: the spatial and biological diversity, favorable climate conditions, and our tradition in the fruit production. A considerable interest among fruit farmers, steady government support through incentives and integration through cooperatives (associations) could translate into significant results.