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Food quality is becoming an ever-increasing important feature for
consumers and it is well known that some food crops are perishable
and have a very short shelf and storage life. An effective quality
assurance system throughout the handling steps between harvest and
retail display is essential to provide a consistently good quality
supply of fresh food crops to the consumers and to protect the
reputation of a given marketing label. Food manufacturing companies
all over the world are incre- ingly focussing on quality aspect of
food including minimally processed food to meet consumer demands
for fresh-like and healthy food products. To investigate and
control quality, one must be able to measure quality-related
attributes. Quality of produce encompasses sensory attributes,
nutritive values, chemical constituents, mechanical properties,
functional properties and defects. Successful postharvest handling
of crops requires careful coordination and integration of the
various steps from harvest operations to consumer level in order to
maintain the initial product quality. Maturity at harvest is one
feature of quality of perishable products, it has great influence
on their postharvest behavior during marketing. Safety assurance
can be part of quality assurance and its focus on minimizing
chemical and microbial contamination during production, harvesting,
and postharvest handling of intact and fresh-cut of commodities.
Essentially, electromagnetic (often optical) prop- ties relate to
appearance, mechanical properties to texture, and chemical
properties to flavor (taste and aroma).
Plants require nutrients in order to grow, develop and complete
their life cycle. Mineral fertilizers, and hence the fertilizer
industry, constitute one of the most imp- tant keys to the world
food supplies. There is growing concern about the safety and
quality of food. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which, together with
nitrogen, form the structural matter in plants, are freely
available from air and water. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium,
on the other hand, may not be present in quantities or forms
sufficient to support plant growth. In this case, the absence of
these nut- ents constitutes a limiting factor. The supply of
nutrients to the plants should be balanced in order to maximise the
efficiency of the individual nutrients so that these meet the needs
of the particular crop and soil type. For example, it should be
noted that EU-wide regulations are not designed to govern the
specific details of mineral fertilizer use. Although plants receive
a natural supply of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from organic
matter and soil minerals, this is not usually sufficient to satisfy
the demands of crop plants. The supply of nutrients must therefore
be supplemented with fertilizers, both to meet the requirements of
crops during periods of plant growth and to replenish soil reserves
after the crop has been harvested. Pesticides are important in
modern farming and will remain indispensable for the foreseeable
future.
We can not talk about commodity production without building up all
the operations after harvest. It is possible to market the products
just after harvest, but it is only possible in small quantities.
Postharvest handling is the ultimate stage in the process of
producing quality fresh fruits and vegetables, getting these unique
packages of water (fresh commodities) to the supper table. Fresh
fruits and vegetables are succeptible to a number of postharvest
disease and disorders and the postharvest operations are
predominately aimed at maintaining harvest quality. Every step in
the handling chain can influence the extent of disease and quality
of the stored product. From planting to consumption, there are many
opportu- ties for bacteria, viruses, and parasites to contaminate
produce or nutrient deficiency level causing physiological
disorders. Most of the storage rots are diseases that have
originated in the field and have carried over onto commodities
after harvest. Physiological disorders also arise from poor
handling between harvest, storage and marketing. Treatments have a
direct effect on inactivating or outright killing germinating
spores, thus minimising rots. Prestorage treatment appears to be a
promising method of postharvest control of decay.
Pre-or-postharvest treatments of commodities are considered as
potentiel alternatives for reducing the incidence of diseases,
disorders, desinfestation of quarantine pests and for preserving
food quality. Postharvest treatments lead to an alteration of gene
expression and fruit ripening can sometimes be either delayed or
disrupted.
Today, in a world with abundant food, more than 700 million people
are chro- cally undernourished. Over the next 20 years, the world's
population will probably double. The global food supply would need
to double or to triple for the larger population to be fed
adequately. Agriculture is closely linked to environmental quality
in a variety of ways, and the challenge of our generation is how to
feed a growing planet while maintaining the integrity of our
ecological life-support system. The responsibility of governments
for ensuring food security will grow proportionately with the
growth of populations, and governments bear a special
responsibility for promoting agricultural inputs. Agriculture in
the 21st century, will certainly focus increasingly on adapting
modern technologies to local farming systems, needs and
environments. Worldwide climatic changes have been raising concerns
about potential changes to crop yields and production systems. Such
concerns include the ability to acc- modate these uncertain effects
in order to ensure an adequate food supply for an increasing
population. What can be done concretely to use agriculture to
address some of the fundamental issues of today's world? We must
recognize that agric- ture is part of the solution and not just a
problem. Agricultural development is a key to social stability and
equity in many parts of the world. It can help to al- viate the
subtle and unspoken fears of modernization and the space of change
if innovation is handled transparently.
We can not talk about commodity production without building up all
the operations after harvest. It is possible to market the products
just after harvest, but it is only possible in small quantities.
Postharvest handling is the ultimate stage in the process of
producing quality fresh fruits and vegetables, getting these unique
packages of water (fresh commodities) to the supper table. Fresh
fruits and vegetables are succeptible to a number of postharvest
disease and disorders and the postharvest operations are
predominately aimed at maintaining harvest quality. Every step in
the handling chain can influence the extent of disease and quality
of the stored product. From planting to consumption, there are many
opportu- ties for bacteria, viruses, and parasites to contaminate
produce or nutrient deficiency level causing physiological
disorders. Most of the storage rots are diseases that have
originated in the field and have carried over onto commodities
after harvest. Physiological disorders also arise from poor
handling between harvest, storage and marketing. Treatments have a
direct effect on inactivating or outright killing germinating
spores, thus minimising rots. Prestorage treatment appears to be a
promising method of postharvest control of decay.
Pre-or-postharvest treatments of commodities are considered as
potentiel alternatives for reducing the incidence of diseases,
disorders, desinfestation of quarantine pests and for preserving
food quality. Postharvest treatments lead to an alteration of gene
expression and fruit ripening can sometimes be either delayed or
disrupted.
Plants require nutrients in order to grow, develop and complete
their life cycle. Mineral fertilizers, and hence the fertilizer
industry, constitute one of the most imp- tant keys to the world
food supplies. There is growing concern about the safety and
quality of food. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which, together with
nitrogen, form the structural matter in plants, are freely
available from air and water. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium,
on the other hand, may not be present in quantities or forms
sufficient to support plant growth. In this case, the absence of
these nut- ents constitutes a limiting factor. The supply of
nutrients to the plants should be balanced in order to maximise the
efficiency of the individual nutrients so that these meet the needs
of the particular crop and soil type. For example, it should be
noted that EU-wide regulations are not designed to govern the
specific details of mineral fertilizer use. Although plants receive
a natural supply of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from organic
matter and soil minerals, this is not usually sufficient to satisfy
the demands of crop plants. The supply of nutrients must therefore
be supplemented with fertilizers, both to meet the requirements of
crops during periods of plant growth and to replenish soil reserves
after the crop has been harvested. Pesticides are important in
modern farming and will remain indispensable for the foreseeable
future.
Today, in a world with abundant food, more than 700 million people
are chro- cally undernourished. Over the next 20 years, the world's
population will probably double. The global food supply would need
to double or to triple for the larger population to be fed
adequately. Agriculture is closely linked to environmental quality
in a variety of ways, and the challenge of our generation is how to
feed a growing planet while maintaining the integrity of our
ecological life-support system. The responsibility of governments
for ensuring food security will grow proportionately with the
growth of populations, and governments bear a special
responsibility for promoting agricultural inputs. Agriculture in
the 21st century, will certainly focus increasingly on adapting
modern technologies to local farming systems, needs and
environments. Worldwide climatic changes have been raising concerns
about potential changes to crop yields and production systems. Such
concerns include the ability to acc- modate these uncertain effects
in order to ensure an adequate food supply for an increasing
population. What can be done concretely to use agriculture to
address some of the fundamental issues of today's world? We must
recognize that agric- ture is part of the solution and not just a
problem. Agricultural development is a key to social stability and
equity in many parts of the world. It can help to al- viate the
subtle and unspoken fears of modernization and the space of change
if innovation is handled transparently.
Food quality is becoming an ever-increasing important feature for
consumers and it is well known that some food crops are perishable
and have a very short shelf and storage life. An effective quality
assurance system throughout the handling steps between harvest and
retail display is essential to provide a consistently good quality
supply of fresh food crops to the consumers and to protect the
reputation of a given marketing label. Food manufacturing companies
all over the world are incre- ingly focussing on quality aspect of
food including minimally processed food to meet consumer demands
for fresh-like and healthy food products. To investigate and
control quality, one must be able to measure quality-related
attributes. Quality of produce encompasses sensory attributes,
nutritive values, chemical constituents, mechanical properties,
functional properties and defects. Successful postharvest handling
of crops requires careful coordination and integration of the
various steps from harvest operations to consumer level in order to
maintain the initial product quality. Maturity at harvest is one
feature of quality of perishable products, it has great influence
on their postharvest behavior during marketing. Safety assurance
can be part of quality assurance and its focus on minimizing
chemical and microbial contamination during production, harvesting,
and postharvest handling of intact and fresh-cut of commodities.
Essentially, electromagnetic (often optical) prop- ties relate to
appearance, mechanical properties to texture, and chemical
properties to flavor (taste and aroma).
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