About one-third of fresh produce harvested worldwide is lost at various points in the distribution system between production and consumption.
While it is impossible and uneconomical to eliminate these losses completely, it is possible to reduce them by at least half and increase food availability.
The first chapter of this volume describes both proper temperature management practices for perishable commodities and the commercially used methods for cooling fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers. It is written for a person who is initially investigating produce cooling, a professional designer who needs design details, and an operator who wants a better understanding of practical operation guidelines. The chapter contains a complete discussion of design for forced-air coolers, hydrocoolers, and vacuum coolers-the most commonly used cooling methods that people with a good background in industrial refrigeration can design.
The second chapter is an overview of cold storage for perishables It describes the unique issues associated with designing a cold storage for perishables.
Worker safety and food safety for cooling and storage systems have become important issues for the industry, and they are discussed in chapters 3 and 4. The volume concludes with chapter 5, which describes the effects of air temperature and humidity on postharvest quality and temperature and humidity measurement methods.