Environmental conditions encountered during typical consumer retail display affect fruit and vegetable quality and waste

Abstract

Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are the most important environmental factors affecting the sensory quality of fresh produce, and therefore, the consumer acceptability for fruits and vegetables displayed in a produce department. Poor temperature management inevitably occurs in commercial handling and reduces the quality and maximum potential shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Since there is a lack of information on the actual temperatures registered inside local distribution trucks or in consumer retail displays, and the effects on the produce quality, the current study was designed to evaluate the segment of the distribution chain that comprises the time the produce arrives from the distribution center to the store, is displayed at the store, and then stored under household conditions. Temperature and RH were recorded in three different produce departments, at reception and during a 6-week retail display period. Truck and produce temperatures were collected immediately upon opening of the doors, and display temperatures were monitored inside 27 refrigerated and non-refrigerated retail displays. Visual quality of 37 different produce items was evaluated, and surface or pulp temperatures were measured immediately upon unloading from the delivery truck. Reasons for produce waste were recorded on a daily basis during a 6-week period. Shelf life studies were conducted under simulated household conditions using samples collected at the stores. Results from this study showed that chilling-sensitive commodities were transported under too cold conditions, whereas heat-sensitive commodities were transported under too warm conditions. Visual quality of the produce received at the store ranged from good to poor depending on the fruit or vegetable evaluated, with raspberry receiving the lowest visual quality score in 6.7% of store deliveries, and banana, fresh-cut vegetables, peach and pineapple receiving the best visual quality score in 100% of store deliveries. Temperatures measured inside retail displays showed a wide variation, depending on the store and location inside the display, ranging from −1.2 °C to 19.2 °C in refrigerated displays and from 7.6 °C to 27.7 °C in non-refrigerated displays. RH ranged from 55.9% to 92.9% in refrigerated displays and from 29.7% to 86.6% in non-refrigerated displays. Poor temperature management was the major cause of produce waste (55%) whereas expired date and mechanical damage accounted for 45% of the produce wasted. Results from this study show that fruits and vegetables are often handled under adverse environmental conditions, resulting in produce with poor quality and shorter shelf life, and increased waste at the retail and consumer levels.