Postharvest Handling Update Cool Season Vegetables

Marita Cantwell, UC Davis micantwell@ucdavis.edu http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu UCCE Vegetable Pest Management and Postharvest Issues Santa Maria, June 9, 2010

http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu Produce Facts

Harvest indices Quality indices Temperature and RH Freezing point/damage Respiration rates Ethylene production Effects of ethylene Effects of modified atmospheres Physiological disorders Postharvest diseases Mechanical injury PHOTOS

140 Fruits Vegetables Flowers

Causes of Quality & Postharvest Losses

Leafy Vegetables
Lettuces Spinach Cabbage Chard Broccoli Celery Herbs Endives Asparagus Green Onions Water loss Mechanical damage Loss of chlorophyll and other nutrients Respiration rates Microbial growth Sensitivity to ethylene

Fresh Produce Deterioration

Metabolic changes:
respiration, ethylene, texture, aroma, etc.

Growth and development Transpiration Mechanical injury Physiological disorders Decay; microbial growth

Temperature Affects All Causes of Deterioration

Postharvest Handling Update Cool Season Vegetables

Broccoli
Iced to iceless product; firmness and water loss

Specialty Brassicas
Compare postharvest performance to broccoli

Fresh-cut and modified atmospheres

Response of broccoli and sugar snap peas

Cauliflower --needs postharvest work Cabbage Quality and Temperature Lettuce Varieties
Fresh-cut performance

Days (to initiate yellowing)

Fresh appearance Green florets Tender stem No discoloration No breakage No decay No off-odors

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 32 2.5 36

Broccoli Shelf-life & Temperature

cv. Legacy

5 41

7.5 45

10 12.5 15 50 55 59

20C 68F

Storage temperature

Broccoli Compositional Quality and Storage Temperature

Chlorophyll
25
mg/100 g FW

4
mg/100g FW

Carotenoids

20 15 10 5 0 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10
Limit of Salability

3 2 1 0 0C (32F) 10C (50F) 20C (68F)

Ascorbic Acid
mg/100 gFW

25 20 15 10 5 0

Sugars

mg/100 g FW

15

20

25

10

15

20

25

Days
Cantwell, unpublished

Days

Loss of green color by mature and immature Kale leaves stored at 4 temperatures for up to 18 days.
Mature Kale Leaves
Color score, 5=dark green, 1=yellow
5

20C (68F) 15C (59F) 10C (50F) 5C (41F)

Immature Kale Leaves

1 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 0

LSD.05
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Days

Days

10C Air

1-MCP, 10C Air

10C C2H4

1-MCP, 10C C2H4

Collards

5C Air

10C Air

10C C2H4
12 days; 8 ppm C2H4; 500 ppb 1-MCP

1-MCP=1-methyl-cyclopropene, SmartFresh, AgroFresh

Broccoli and Temperature and 1-MCP (no ethylene exposure)

0.8

A. Chlorophyll

280 240

A. Vitamin C (AA + DHA)

Chlorophyll, mg/g FW

0.7

Vitamin C, mg/100g FW

200 160 120 80 40 LSD.05

0.6 LSD.05 0.5

0.4

0.3

0C Control 5C Control 10C Control

0C 1-MCP 5C 1-MCP 10C 1-MCP

0C Control 5C Control 10C Control

0C 1-MCP 5C 1-MCP 10C 1-MCP

B. Sugar

15 14

B. Glucoraphinin

Glucoraphinin, mole/g DW

13 12 11 10 9 8 7 LSD.05

Sugar, mg/g FW

5 LSD.05 4

3 0 5 10 15

6 5 0 5 10 15

Days

Days

Glucoraphin produces Sulforaphane potent Phase 2 Enzyme Inducer, inhibit cancer

Specialty Brassicas Comparative Study Gai-lan Marketable quality Choi-sum Compositional quality Broccoli raab, rapini Response to Temperature Broccolini Response to atmospheres

Broccoli raab
Initial Component Total sugars, mg/gFW Ammonia, mole/100gFW Antioxidant activity
mg Trolox/100g FW

Florets 5C, 8d 4.5 1.4 100 176 10C 8d 3.7 2.3 92 112

Stem Tissue Initial 17.4 0.5 47 87 5C 8d 14.4 1.0 43 86 10C 8d 12.0 1.1 32 88

5.2 1.1 117 235

Vitamin C, mg/100g FW

M. Cefola, G. Hong, M. Cantwell, R. Paiva e G. Colelli. 2009

3.5

Ammonia concentration
3.0

mg/g fresh weight

2.5

2.5C 36F 5C 41F 7.5C 45F 10C 50F

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

Changes in ammonia in spinach at 4 temperatures over 18 days

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

0.0

Days

AMMONIA INCREASE %

1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 0C

AMMONIA INCREASE

GS TOT

39
TOTAL GS ACTIVITY

37 35 33 31 29 27 25 5C 10C

Changes in ammonia and GS activity in Spinach

6 days, data of Eghle Catalano, 2007

450

A. Ethanol
Air 3%O2+7%CO2 3%O2+12%CO2 3%O2+18%CO2 10%O2+12%CO2 LSD.05

90 80 70

B. Acetaldehyde

Test #2
mole/100g FW

400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

mole/100g FW

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

80 70 60

C. Ammonia
70 65

D. Sugars

g/g FW

50 40 30

g/g FW

60

55

50 20 10 0 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 0 3 6 9 45

Air 3%O2+7%CO2 3%O2+12%CO2 3%O2+18%CO2 10%O2+12%CO2

12

15

18

Days at 5C

Days at 5C

18 days at 5C (41F)

Air=Best quality

A
3+7

B
3+12

C
3+18 DAMAGING

D
10+12

E
Air

Broccoli Storage Conditions

0C with very high humidity MA: 5-8% O2 + 7-10% CO2

Iceless Broccoli
Temperature-yellowing Moisture loss-softening

Table 1. Broccoli head firmness and compactness scoring and the relationship to firmness measurements on texture analyzer. This table based on preliminary 2009 data. Description Subjective score 5 4 3 2 1 Heads hard, very tight and firm Heads firm, a few outer florets may be loosened Heads moderately firm, with some florets loosened** Heads moderately soft, with most florets loosened Heads soft, with extensive loosening of florets Objective firmness N compression force* 65-100N 50-80 40-60 25-40 10-25

*Heads compressed with a flat disc to a depth of 7.5 mm **A score of 3 is likely the limit of marketability at retail.

A. % Weight Loss
8 7 6

Curve 1, y = 1.55x + 0.34; R2 = 0.98 Curve 2, y = 1.72x + 0.36; R2 = 0.98

% Weight loss

5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3

Curve 1 original firmness technique Curve 2, modified technique, mark % Firmness Loss 100 B.
90 4 80

Days at 7.5C
% Firmness loss

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Minimize delay from harvest to cooling Use plastic liners to reduce water loss Keep it cold
Curve 1 original firmness technique Curve 2, modified technique, mark

Days at 7.5C

14 days air

2.5C (36F)

5C (41F)

7.5C (45F)

14 days 5C (41F)

5% O2

5% O2 + 7.5% CO2

5% O2 + 15% CO2

14d 5C

Air

1%O2 +15% CO2

Quality Problems
Graying Loss of fluid Off-odor

Cauliflower Quality
color is cream white freedom from mechanical injury freedom from decay overall attractive appearance no discoloration on cut edges minimal number of small pieces; good integrity of cut florets good aroma and odor as fresh or microwaved food retain high content of sugars and Vitamin C

RESEARCH TO DO Evaluate the performance of cultivars for quality of fresh market and fresh-cut product Evaluate the impact of initial postharvest handling on the shelf-life and quality of fresh-cut cauliflower florets. Evaluate the impact of production conditions (seasonablity, fertilization, irrigation) on the quality and shelf-life of cauliflower florets

140 120

A. Heads

Respiration (L CO2/g-h)

100 80 60 40 20 0 1 2 3 4

0C (32F) 5C (41F) 10C (50F) 15C (59F) 20C (68F)

B. Florets

Days

Days

Napa or Chinese cabbage Black Speck Disorder

Black Speck Disorder on Chinese Cabbage

250 Air Ethylene 200

150

100

Cv #1= T-740 2= Yuki 3= Spring Flavor 4= Southern King 5= New Summer 6= Chacha 7= China Express 8= Blues 9= WR-70

50

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Black speck development on Napa cabbage stored in air or in ethylene is the same. PAL enzyme levels similar; 1MCP does not reduce black speck. Cultivars vary greatly in their susceptibility to black speck.

Black speck index

Black speck index = black speck score multiplied by % extension.

Cultivar

Cabbage Quality and Temperature

CDFA WIC Stores Small Farm Program Project Shermain Hardesty, Lucia Kaiser, and Advisors

Retail handlinggood to poor conditions Impact on marketability and nutritional value conditions to retain 80% original nutrition Vitamin C, Antioxidant Activity, Carotenoids Wide range of temperatures (0-29C; 32-84F) Cabbage performs well over temp rangeshould be available in all WIC stores

Fresh-cut Lettuces
Varieties of Iceberg, Romaine and Crosses
Performance as fresh-cut product Visual quality score Discoloration Decay Respiration rates Phenolics and phenolic enzymes (PAL, PPO) Composition Number leaves per head % dry weight Sugars Chlorophyll and carotenoids Vitamin C Ammonia

Discoloration Rating Scale for Romaine

Romaine lettuce

Total ascorbic acid (mg/100g fwt.)

Total sugars

0 days 7 days

Vitamin C (Total Ascorbic Acid)

40 0 days 7 days

Total sugars (mg/g fwt.)

15

LSD.05 10

30

LSD.05

20

10

Heart Inner

Young

Midsize

Full size Outer

Heart Inner

Young

Midsize

Full size Outer

Leaf Position

Leaf Position

Russet Spotting Score 1=none, 9=severe

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1=Sonoma 2=Spreckles 3=Salinas 521 4=Raider 5=Salinas 517 6=Buena Vista 7=Stinger 8=Van Sal 210 9=Salinas 10=Ace 11=Champ 12=Salinas 88 13=Ridgemark

A. Iceberg Lettuces

B. Romaine Lettuces

1=Paris Island Cos 2=Romo 3=Red Eye Cos 4=Gx800 5=Corazon 6=Red Hot Cos 7=Nero

10

11

12

13

Variety

Variety

Development of Russet Spot Disorder on Iceberg and Romaine Lettuces. Intact heads were stored in 5ppm ethylene at 5C (41F) plus 1 week in air.
Cantwell, UC Davis, unpublished

Is Temperature a Quality Issue or a Food Safety Issue?

Prevention of Contamination is most important Time and Temperature are Amplifiers of Risk

Slide from Trevor Suslow, UC Davis

10 Basic Postharvest Principles

1) 2) 3) 4)
Harvest at correct maturity Reduce physical handling Protect product from sun Keep packingline simple and clean; ensure good worker hygiene 5) Select, classify, and pack carefully 6) Align cartons, strap pallet 7) Cool as soon as possible 8) Know market and product requirements 9) Coordinate efficient & rapid handling 10)Train and compensate workers adequately