Abstract
Quality deterioration in packaged bananas caused by mechanical damage along the post-harvest supply chains (SC) remains obscure until the packages are unpacked for sale at the retail stores and therefore, the mechanism of damage occurrence remains unclear. This study assessed the mechanical damage levels of bananas in 300 cartons from pack houses to retail stores in Australia. The damage across the SC were shown to be progressive across the SC. Bruising and neck damage levels in bananas increased from the distribution centre (DC) to the retail stores. Mechanical damage in unripe bananas was influenced by the package location in the stacked-pallet, and the transport and handling of packages within the last-mile of the SC (DC to retail) further exacerbated the damage. This study further characterized the damage development by subjecting packaged bananas to simulated vibration, top-load compression and drop impact. It was revealed that the exposure to vibration resulted in rubbing; top-load package compression contributed to bruising and, the drop impact caused severe neck injuries in bananas. The knowledge of the damage incidences across the SC and causes of damage may contribute to the development of interventions targeted at improving the quality of bananas in the post-harvest SC in Australia.
Highlights
In most post-harvest supply chains (SC), a certain degree of mechanical damage to fresh produce during the distribution is unavoidable
The mean visual damage index (VDI) score was used for the comparison of damage levels in bananas occurred after each treatment
This study evaluated the cosmetic damage levels in bananas along the post-harvest SC and experimentally tested and confirmed the causes for damage occurrences
Summary
In most post-harvest supply chains (SC), a certain degree of mechanical damage to fresh produce during the distribution is unavoidable. Bananas have been crowned as the most sold supermarket produce in Australia [3] and their quality is of a great interest to the banana industry and to the major supermarket chains which account for over 74% of the total banana sales [4] in Australia. Like any other fruit are subjected to mechanical stresses from harvest through to consumers which is one of the major factors for the post-harvest quality deterioration [5,6,7]. It was estimated that 5-8% of the gross volume of bananas has been accounted as wastage in the post-harvest SC in Australia which amounts to AU$ 46-73 million per annum [8]. Mechanical damages in bananas have been a significant concern for both the banana and retail industries in Australia, requiring a systematic investigation
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