Abstract
In any agricultural value chain a proportion of the product grown does not meet the quality demanded by the primary buyer. Nonconforming product must be left in the field, disposed of, or sold to a different outlet. While in some cases, pickers can perform quality determinations in the field and only harvest saleable product, generally the product is subjected to a subsequent sorting operation. This is the primary quality–determining step in the value chain. Establishing optimum design and operating conditions for a sorting process is recognized as being critical in value chains. Sorting controls the quality of product that is supplied to the market and therefore influences potential pricing. Sorting decisions also affect latent (downstream) quality as product selected determines the potential coolchain and transport performance of the products shipped (e.g., if all rots are not removed) (see also 13th and 16th chapter). Finally, sorting involves the removal of some product from the value chain and the removal of marketable product, or the misclassification of product can have economic consequences, particularly for growers.
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