Active antifungal packaging is a technological solution for reducing the postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables associated with phytopathogens. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) is the principal fungus that causes post-harvest avocado fruit decay. In this study, antifungal sachets filled with oregano oil-starch capsules were prepared, and their active effects were demonstrated on Hass avocado fruits. Oregano oil (31 % of carvacrol) was encapsulated with corn starch by spray drying. Tyvek sachets (4 × 4 cm) filled with 80 (T1) and 160 mg (T2) of oregano oil-starch capsules (99.35 ± 1.86 mg g − 1) were fabricated. The antifungal effects of the sachets were tested in vitro and in vivo using a humidity chamber (90–95 % relative humidity (RH)) on fruits inoculated with anthracnose. The results showed that T1 and T2 inhibited 75.21 ± 2.81 and 100 % in vitro growth of anthracnose at 25 °C for 12 days. Furthermore, Hass avocado fruits stored in a humidity chamber at 25 °C for 6 days showed that only T2 significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the area of lesion produced by artificial inoculation of Hass avocado fruits with anthracnose. On average, the lesion area in the Hass avocado fruits treated with T2 was 13.94 % smaller than that in the control fruit.
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Consumers expect product availability as well as product quality and safety in retail outlets. When designing or re-designing fruit and vegetables supply chain networks one has to take these demands into consideration next to traditional efficiency and responsiveness requirements. In food science literature, much attention has been paid to the development of Time-Temperature Indicators to monitor individually the temperature conditions of food products throughout distribution as well as quality decay models that are able to predict product quality based upon this information. This chapter discusses opportunities to improve the design and management of fruit and vegetables supply chain networks. If product quality in each step of the supply chain can be predicted in advance, good flows can be controlled in a pro-active manner and better chain designs can be established resulting in higher product availability, higher product quality, and less product losses in retail. This chapter works towards a preliminary diagnostic instrument, which can be used to assess supply chain networks on QCL (Quality Controlled Logistics). Findings of two exploratory case studies, one on the tomato chain and one on the mango chain, are presented to illustrate the value of this concept. Results show the opportunities and bottlenecks for quality controlled logistics depend on product—(e.g. variability in quality), process—(e.g. ability to use containers and sort on quality), network- (e.g. current level of cooperation), and market characteristics (e.g. higher prices for better products).
Verse producten als aardbeien en blauwe bessen zijn na de oogst beperkt houdbaar. Door de inzet van diverse technieken kan rijping en bederf van deze levende plantonderdelen geremd worden. Daarmee kan de houdbaarheid worden verlengd en verspilling worden voorkomen. Dat kunnen technieken tijdens de teelt zijn en na de oogst. Na de oogst gaat het om condities als temperatuur, luchtvochtigheid, zuurstofconcentratie en kooldioxideconcentratie. Om die condities goed in te kunnen stellen is het nodig de metabole activiteit van een batch te kennen. In de huidige afzetketens van verse producten is er echter onvoldoende tijd om die activiteit vast te stellen, waardoor er meestal een veilige maar suboptimale conditie wordt ingesteld. Dit beperkt de houdbaarheid en kan leiden tot onnodige voedselverliezen. In dit project wordt een snelle methode onderzocht waarmee de metabole activiteit zeer snel kan worden vastgesteld en adviezen voor in te stellen condities binnen uren kan worden gegeven. Daarbij wordt bovendien verkend wat de invloed van teeltcondities is op de houdbaarheid.
