Post-harvest Food Losses Research Articles

Min Bei Irradiation Center Food and Agriculture Organization project experience Jianou, Fujian Province, China

The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO), a Unitede Nations Organization, in an effort to increase food supplies by post harvest irradiation treatment participated in the development of the Min Bei Irradiation Center(MBIC) Located in Fujian Province, China. FAO inconjunction with Shanghai Nuclear Energy Research and Design Institute(SNERDI), MBIC staff, and the Ministry of Agriculture completed Project TCP CPR 6763/8961 culminating in the recent comissioning of one of China's nesest irradiation facilities. From the feasibility phase initiated in 1986, through the construction period and the eventual commissioning in 1991 FAO participated in the technical overview of the irradiation center. MBIC was developed both as a research and development center as well as a production irradiation facility for the primary purposes of reduction of post harvest food loss in Fujian Province. This retrospective review of the project provides a hindsight view for the development of MBIC.

Up-to-date status of food irradiation

The last decade has witnessed significant advancement of the acceptance of food irradiation processing. At present 37 countries have approved one or more food items for human consumption and 25 countries have commercialized this process. More developing countries are showing keen interest to introduce irradiation processing in order to reduce post-harvest food losses, to increase export potentials and to ensure safety of food to their people. Although progress towards acceptance of food irradiation by the industry is slow, actual market trials have shown that once consumers have understood this technology, they are willing to buy irradiated foods. This paper deals with the latest developments in the field of food irradiation with particular reference to legislation, consumer acceptance, commercialization and potential application in developing countries. This paper also deals with the role played by the International Organizations, aimed at facilitating the acceptance of food irradiation.

Decreasing Post-Harvest Food Loss in the Third World

Despite production increases severe food shortages in the Third World are still a common and recurring problem and there is always the potential for crises. Much of the problem lies in the post-harvest phase. Ironically the Green Revolution is causing severe strains on the distribution of food and the full effects are yet to be felt. This article examines storage facilities and practices in the conservation of food, using an approach that combines behavioral factors with economic. Several research and field projects are used as illustrations.

Future needs in potato post-harvest technology in developing countries

The reduction of post-harvest food losses, which are particularly high in perishable crops in developing countries, is important not only from an obligation to avoid waste, but also because the cost of preventing food losses in general is considered to be less than producing a similar additional amount of food of the same quality. In perishable vegetatively propagated crops like the potato, appropriate post-harvest technology is not only required to reduce food losses, but also to maintain the perishable planting material from one growing season to the next. Extensive knowledge on basic post-harvest technologies and principles exists for potatoes. The future emphasis in tropical developing countries should be in their low-cost application to specific local problems. In attempting to use known technologies to solve these problems, lessons should be learnt from many past failures where attempts concentrated on the direct transfer of technologies which were successfully used in one location to a similar problem in another location. Basic technologies and principles are universal but their application is location-specific and requires a good understanding of the socio-economic as well as technical needs of each location. The best use of limited resources in the transfer and application of known technologies could be achieved through the use of interdisciplinary research teams which involve their final client — farmer, merchant or consumer — in their efforts at an early stage, rather than relying on traditional disciplinary research and extension approaches. As an alternative to trying to copy the development path of countries which use high-input technologies, the authors suggest that developing countries, in an effort to reduce post-harvest potato losses and to make potatoes available to an increasing number of their peoples by the year 2000, should investigate alternative low-cost application of basic principles.

Post-Harvest Food Losses in Developing Countries: A New Study

Post-Harvest Food Losses in Developing Countries: A New Study