Food Quality Draft 2009

7/27/2019 Food Quality Draft 2009

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Carmelo SIGLIUZZO 1

From field to fork:

about food quality

Dr. Carmelo Sigliuzzo

CHECK FRUIT/CMi Italy

June 2009


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Carmelo SIGLIUZZO 2

There is a growing interest in all areas for storage and

transportation of horticultural products, because the products ar

very perishable and because of the long distances between

countries and their major export market.

Worldwide postharvest fruit and vegetables losses are as high asas high as

30 to 40%30 to 40% and even much higher in some developing countries.

Reducing postharvest losses is very important; ensuring that

sufficient food, both in quantity and in quality is available to ever

inhabitant in our planet. The prospects are also that the worldpopulation will grown from 5.7 billion inhabitants in 1995 to 8.3

billion in 2025.

World production of vegetables amounted to 486 million tonnes, while thatof fruits reached 392 million tonnes.

Reduction of post-harvest losses reduces cost of production, trade and

distribution, lowers the price for the consumer and increases the farmersincome.


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Carmelo SIGLIUZZO 3

Countries Vegetables Fruits

North and Central America 44.16 53.17

Europe 66.98 65.17

Africa 35.20 54.06

Asia 292.41 142.24

Pacific 2.60 5.62

South America 16.06 60.95

ProductionProduction Edible matterEdible matter proteinprotein

VegetablesVegetables 486486 5757 55

FruitsFruits 392392 5353 22

Distribution of vegetables and fruit production in the

various regions (in million tonnes)


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Significant contributions, minimizing the postharvest

losses have been made through research on thephysiological changes in the product after storage, new

longlife varieties, suitable cultivation circumstances,

optimum harvesting indices recommended, storage

recommendations, precooling, refrigerated transport andcareful handling.

In preserving the quality of the produce reaching the final

market, the whole marketing chain from the producer tothe final consumer must be examined for any weakness.



Specialized wholesalers-exporters and retailers and supermarkets require

big quantities of the same quality.

Farmers have to concentrate their production through cooperation, sellingbig quantities of the same quality, offering a variability in crop by remote

selling, and supply on a long period. Competitiveness is increasing, mostly

with commodities from tropical countries, inducing some problems in

selling final produces.

There exist a consumer preference, different from market to market with

also market segments.

For long storage time the elasticity supply-demand factor is important.Communication and information of the consumer about quality (health,

nutritive) and the promotion of the product means a sophisticated

knowledge and experience.



Agro-food quality

Quality of food is quality of life

Quality is a complex point related

to different aspectswith different meaning and sense



Agro-food quality

Pre-Requirements According to the lawsHygiene-safety

Essential requirements Organoleptics, sensorial,Nutritional value, .

Commercial requirementsPackaging, shelf life, stora

Others Link with its origin (region, country,



Nutritional contents

Calories

Fibre

Sugars

Proteins

Fats

Vitamins Minerals



Organoleptics aspects

Flavour

Sweetness

Acidity

Astringement

Fragrance Rear-flavour



Stability requirements

Structure stabilityNutritional requirements s.

Sensorial stability req.Hygiene and safety s.



Structural characteristics

Dimension (gauge, weight, volum)

Shape

Colour (intensity, uniformity) Wax

Internal or external defects



Consistency characteristics

Hardness

Juicy

Fibrousity Micro-structure



Trading characteristics

Availability

Presentation

Price


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Carmelo SIGLIUZZO 14

Rules requirements

Labelling

Expire date

Weight Price per Kgs


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Usage requirements

Storage easiness

Package opening

Cooking time

T h l i l


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Technological aspects

Raw material quality

Transport resistance

Compatible with industrialmachines

Transformation performance

H d


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Hazards

Natural toxic substances

Disease (parasite and/or infestants)

Pathogenic micro-organisms

Toxine from bacteria or fungi Virus

Chemicals (pesticides residue, environmentalcontamination, plastic materials transfer)

Micro-biological contamination


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Related to all these aspects

The biggest European DistributionChains ask for the complying with

numerous protocol and standard to thesupplier to ensure:

Quality

Safety

Hygiene

Environment


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RETAILER COUNTRY

Albert Heijn Netherlands

Asda UK

Coop Switzerland

DRC / Belgium Auction Market Belgium

ICA Sweden

Laurus NetherlandsMarks & Spencer UK

Metro Germany

Migros Switzerland

Safeway UK

Sainsbury's UKSomerfield UK

Spar sterreich Austria

Superquinn Ireland

Tesco UK

Waitrose UK

Ahold Netherlands

Coop Sweden

Eroski Spain

Delhaize Belgium

Superunie Netherlands

McDonalds Europe Germany

Trade Service Netherland BV Netherlands

European big chains labels

E t d d


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European standards

Integrated Pest Management

IFS (International Food Standard) Tesco Natures Choice

Eurep-GAP Others (private labels): Conad, Coop

Italia, Rio Grande, TESCO, .

Organic (Reg. CE 2092/91) BRC Standard


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FOOD QUALITY

COMES FROM THE FARM

After field you can only keep it, butnot increase or improve

Th fi f f d li


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The first step for food quality

On field

Crop

managementand climate,

influence fruitquality


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Weather forecast method for disease control Insects monitoring

Good Agriculture Practices


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Good Agriculture Practices

Pest, insects anddisease knowledge

Treatments only when

and if necessary


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Sprayer machine

calibration

A good service andcalibration of sprayer

machine guarantee the best

quality of treatment, less

quantity of pesticide used

and lower waste


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It depends onthe

machine


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Adequate protective clothing

is necessary during the

spraying


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A goodmanagement of

waste (plastic

materials,empty

pesticides

containers,

glass, iron)

make

environment

quality

Grading and sorting. Quality standardisation and


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The EC quality categories Extra, I, II for sorting and size (mm) or fruit

weight are generally practised. This distinction is no more sufficient for

traders because external and internal quality in one quality category is

changing too much.

Selling boards make own quality blocks between one category (red and

ground colour for apples, morphologic aspects for vegetables). Also some

supermarkets require minimum quality norms for quality (colour, brix,citric acidity, .).

For controled integrated fruit production, labels for quality insurance are

applied. International standardization of analytical and equipment is

necessary. For controlling quality, automized sorting non-destructivemethods are studied based on physical, acoustic, optical, electric

impedance, X-ray, chlorophyll fluorescence and nuclear magnetic

resonance technics. For export to some countries the quarantine security

is required.

Grading and sorting. Quality standardisation and

determination

PACKAGING


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Standardisation of the dimensions of package (60 cm x 40 cm, 30 cm x40 cm) and the pallets (80 cm x 120 cm, 100 cm x 120 cm) is far

advanced.

After wooden boxes reusable uniform plastic boxes - sometimes pliable

- are used (Europool).Corrugated carton boxes with minimum compression and minimum

4,5% open air locks after humid air precooling and long transport are

available.

Modified atmosphere packaging with absorption layers for water and

ethylene, and inserts are used. For expensive products, PP films with a

wide range of micropores are of great interest. The presence of some

pathogenic organisms need urgent research.The desinfection of wooden boxes with formaldehyde or azaconazole is

important for long time storage in high humid circumstances.

Labels on boxes or product have to inform consumers about the

origin, the quality and the welfare of the product.Increasing attention is given to fresh product, fresh pack and tightly

processed products and juices.

PACKAGING

Q A CO OQUALITY CONTROL


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QUALITY CONTROLQUALITY CONTROL

On the raw materials (on field or, on

acceptance, into the packhouse)

During the process (packaging,storage - Packhouse)

On the final product (Packhouse orsell point)

KINDS OF CONTROLSKINDS OF CONTROLS


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One of the main questionsis to be objective and to fix

the parameters to be

checked for each produce.

Most frequently checked parameters:

Sugar contents (in Brix or Baum)

Hardness (in Kgs/sqcm)

Gauge (in weight or mm)

Colour



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The second questions isthat quality control are

generally destructive

The quality control must be done on a sample of

produce collected from the total quantity of a lot.

Sugar contents (Refractometer)

Hardness (Penetrometer)Gauge (caliber or scale)

Colour (comparative tables)

E

q

u

ip

m

e

n

t

s



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Q

EQUIPMENTSEQUIPMENTS



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Refractometer

Portable orfor table(electronic)

0-30 BxThe light refraction index is

directely related to sugar

contents.



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Consistency (hardness) of a fruit is

measured by penetrometer

Apple:

racommended

> 5 Kgs/sqcm



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Calibers and scale



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Caliber

for

cherries...

..or grapes



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on TABLE GRAPESon TABLE GRAPES

Colour

Weight

Sugars (> 13 Bx)



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Defects


on TABLE GRAPESon TABLE GRAPESarmer_____________________ ra a e


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on TABLE GRAPESon TABLE GRAPES_____________________________________________________

__________

.____________

Package 1 2 3 4 5 T

average weight (M) = total weight (T)/n 5 p

max

peso medio/peso sovracalibrox100 %m n

peso medio/peso sottocalibrox100 %

Final judgement The expert

M = T/5

Not graded produce


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Carmelo SIGLIUZZO 44With SO2pad

Grapes packaging


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Packaging


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Citrus net packaging

Re-usable crates


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Not adequately

cleaned

STORAGE AND PROCESSING


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On construction level there is an evolution from cheap cork or glass fiber

insulations, and bitumen or paint gastightness to gastight polyurethane-

metal panels.

Precooling with humid forced air cooling and ice bank has a lot of benefits

for vegetables and berries.

For each commodity specific storage conditions are dressed. CA storage fortropical fruits, vegetables and fresh pack products is recommended.

To extend the supply of berries, storage of plants is applied. During storage,

chemical treatment of flower with preservatives is well developed.

In processing development of juices, purees, extracts and essences

significant progress is perceptible, with new technics as microwave,

membrane separations, ultrahigh temperature, aseptic package.

Packhouse


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TRACEABILITY


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From field to fork

TRACEABILITY


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From field to forkIt is necessary to ensure that a food or feed

business including an importer can identify at least

the business from which the food, feed, animal or

substance that may be incorporated into a food or

feed has been supplied, to ensure that on

investigation, traceability can be assured at allstages. (EU Reg. 178/02)

Traceability means the ability to trace and followa food, feed, food-producing animal or substance

intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a

food or feed, through all stages of production,

processing and distribution.


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Fruit

Fruit&

&V

egVeg

.CHAIN

.CHAIN

Labelling


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Labelling

Documents

Food Quality Draft 2009