Managing Quality of Fruit and Vegetables

Part 1 Importance of fruit and vegetables in food systems1. General introduction (FAV in food and nutrition security)2. Global trade in fruit and vegetables3. Global trends affecting quality management of fruit and vegetables4. Postharvest losses and waste of fruit and vegetable

Part 2 Biochemical and physiological basis of fruit and vegetable quality5. Growth and development6. Maturity, ripening and senescence7. Respiration, transpiration and weight loss8. Pre-harvest factors affecting postharvest quality

Part 3 Industrial approaches to quality management9. Approaches to quality management10. Quality management systems

Part 4 Maturity and Quality Indicators11. Maturity – Assessing readiness for harvest 12. Definition, perspectives and orientations of quality13. Techniques and procedures for measuring quality

Part 5 Harvesting and Postharvest Handling 14. Harvesting and field preparation15. Precooling techniques16. Packhouse operations – sorting, grading and packing17. Treatment of fruit and vegetables (ripening, pests, diseases and disorders)18. Mechanical damage of fruit and vegetables

Part 6 Storage and Packaging Technologies19. Refrigerated storage20. Hyperbaric/Hypobaric storage21. Controlled atmosphere storage22. Logistics packaging (for bulk storage and transport)23. Modified atmosphere packaging (for retail and consumer handling)

Part 7 Emerging Issues in Quality Management of Fruit and Vegetables24. Climate change and postharvest quality25. Nutrition-sensitive postharvest management26. Branding and marketing of fruit and vegetables 27. Quality standards and food waste28. Next generation postharvest technologies for quality management (the role of emerging postharvest innovation triad – biotechnology, nanotechnology and ICT)