Principles of Post Harvest Management

Explore the world of post-harvest management and discover how to minimize food losses, enhance nutrition, and boost economic opportunities. Learn about optimal harvesting, packaging, storage, and processing techniques to ensure food quality and availability from farm to table.

Principles of Post Harvest Management

1 Importance of Post Harvest Management

  1. Increase Food Availability
  2. Nutrition Security
  3. Employment Generation
  4. Value Addition
  5. Export Earning
  6. Rural Industrialisation
  7. Beneficial to Producers and Consumers

2 Causes of Pre and Post Harvest Losses of Fruits and Vegetables

  1. Pre-harvest Factors in Post-harvest Losses
  2. Biological Factors
  3. Environmental Factors
  4. Improper Handling, Packing, Storage, and Transportation
  5. Socio-Economic Factors

3 Maturity Indices and Harvesting Parameters

  1. Determination of Maturity
  2. Maturity Indices of Commercially Important Fruits
  3. Maturity Indices of Commercially Important Vegetables
  4. Harvesting

4 Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables

  1. Selection of Packaging Material
  2. Functions and Properties of Packaging Material
  3. Packaging Materials for Fruits, Vegetables, and Root Crops
  4. Cushioning Materials and Wrap
  5. Pre-packaging

5 Transportation of Fresh Produce and Control of Losses

  1. Pre-operations and Treatments
  2. Factors Affecting Transportation of Fresh Produce
  3. Modes of Transport
  4. Loading and Unloading
  5. Palletisation/Unitization

6 Cleaning, Selection, Sorting, Grading and Packaging

  1. Cleaning
  2. Trimming
  3. Selection
  4. Sorting
  5. Grading
  6. Packaging

7 Treatments- Pre-Cooling, Curing, Inhibition of Sprouting And Fungicide Application and Ripening

  1. Importance and Methods of Pre-Cooling
  2. Role and Methods of Drying and Curing
  3. Effects of Sprouting and its Inhibition
  4. Waxing and Surface Coating
  5. Post Harvest Disease Management and Fungicide Application
  6. Control of Ripening

8 Factors Affecting Storage Life

  1. Principles of Storage
  2. Types of Storage Operations
  3. Factors Affecting Storage Life
  4. Control of Undesirable Plant Processes
  5. Control of Transpiration and Respiration
  6. Pre-harvest Factors

9 Storage Structure

  1. Refrigerated/Cool Storage
  2. Control/Modified Atmosphere Storage
  3. Ice Bank Cooler
  4. Hypobaric Storage
  5. Low Cost Storage
  6. Evaporative Cooling/Pusa Zero Energy Cool Chamber

10 Market and Market Mechanization

  1. Concept and Definitions
  2. Role of Markets
  3. Types of Markets
  4. Marketing Functions
  5. Marketing Channels
  6. Role of Middleman
  7. Marketing Efficiency
  8. Market Mechanisation

11 Market Information System

  1. Concept and Definition
  2. Importance and Need of Marketing Information System
  3. Types of Market Information
  4. Agencies Providing Market Information
  5. Components of Marketing Information System
  6. Lacunae in Market Information
  7. How Marketing Information can be Improved

12 Minimal Processing

  1. Introduction
  2. Advantages of Minimal Processing
  3. Perishability of MP
  4. Factors Affecting Quality
  5. Packaging and Storage of MP Fruits and Vegetables
  6. Some General Processing Conditions, GMP’s and Key Requirements of MP

13 Processing by Heat Application

  1. Introduction
  2. Effect of Heat on Texture and Composition
  3. Effect of Heat on Microorganisms and Enzymes
  4. Role of Heat Application – Peeling, Juice Processing, Syrup / Brine Preparation & Filling
  5. Blanching and Exhausting
  6. Pasteurization and Sterilization
  7. Combination of Time, Temperature, pH/Acidity
  8. Role of Heat Application during Product Preparation

14 Drying and Dehydration of Fruits and Vegetables

  1. Theories of Drying and Dehydration
  2. Advantages of Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables
  3. Merits of Dehydration over Sun Drying
  4. Factors Affecting Dehydration
  5. Pre-treatments for Drying of Fruits and Vegetables
  6. Drying Rate
  7. Drying and Reconstitution Ratio
  8. Role of Water Activity and its Importance in Dried Products
  9. Common Types of Driers Used for Drying of Fruits and Vegetables
  10. Ideal Condition for Packaging and Storage of Dried Products
  11. Drying Process for Fruits and Vegetables

15 Freezing

  1. The Freezing Point of Foods
  2. Advantages of Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
  3. Quick and Slow Freezing
  4. Pre-treatments Prior to Freezing
  5. Freezing Technology
  6. Packaging and Storage
  7. Quality and Physical Changes in Frozen Foods
  8. Storage and Transportation of Frozen Produce
  9. Future Trends in Frozen Foods

16 Chemical Additives

  1. Definition of Chemical Additives (Food Additives)
  2. Functions of Food Additives
  3. Permitted Food Additives as Preservatives
  4. Types of Food Additives
  5. Nutritional Additives
  6. The Potential Use of Probiotics
  7. Basis for Concern
  8. Steeping Preservation
  9. Preservation of Pulp, Juices, Sauces, Chutneys, Purees, and Pastes
  10. Use of Chemicals during Curing of Pickles
  11. Preservation of Whole Tomato Concentrate
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