PJH341 Postharvest - Storage of fruit and vegetables

The course will provide an introduction to the quality and quality characteristics of vegetables, fruit and berries, and which factors affect quality especially after harvest, but also during cultivation as this forms the basis for the quality that must be ensured after harvest. This includes external quality related to appearance as well as secondary metabolites in fruit and vegetables that are important for quality.

Important physiological processes in fruit and vegetables and their significance for quality and storage results will be reviewed. This will include respiration and transpiration in fruit, berries, vegetables and potatoes, as well as the synthesis of ethylene and its influence on respiration, ripening and changes in quality. In addition, the same processes will be reviewed for minimally processed fruits and vegetables exposed to peeling and cutting. For minimally processed products, physiological responses to damage in the tissue as well as the ability of products to heal damage will be related to both long-time storage and shelf-life through the distribution chain. The importance of different storage conditions to obtain a good storage result where quality is preserved, and wastage is reduced is central to the subject. In a sustainable production of fruit and vegetables, increased use of side streams to reduce food waste is important and will be explained during the course.

The course deals with the evaluation of quality in all parts of the distribution chain using various methods to measure quality, including chemical analyses. In addition, the course will introduce the use of non-destructive methods to assess quality and their potential when it comes to monitoring quality during distribution and retail.

Knowledge:

• The student must have knowledge of which characteristics are included in the concept of quality.
• The student must have knowledge of quality variation and what lays the foundation for quality in the production of fruit and vegetables, as well as which rules and regulations producers and distribution chain must follow.
• The student must have knowledge of physiological processes in fruit and vegetables that affect quality and storability.
• The student must have knowledge of what is needed to preserve the quality of fruit and vegetables during harvesting and storage.

Skills:

• The student must be able to use and evaluate various methods used to assess quality in fruit and vegetables.
• The student must be able to apply the skills to further develop and acquire new knowledge within the subject area.

General competence:

• The students must be able to apply their knowledge to understand and solve biological and technological problems when it comes to preserving the quality of fruit and vegetables after harvest.
• The student must have the ability for critical reflection and the ability to evaluate various issues and solutions to them.
• The student must be able to communicate about academic issues and discuss possible solutions with specialists in the field.
• The student must be able to obtain available knowledge and communicate academic issues to the general public.