Avocado
Postharvest management of avocados knows many aspects. Please select the page of your interest below. For avocados, we have gathered information about the international supply chain of the avocado. Next, we focus on the detailed steps along the supply chain. We start with discussing the harvest practices for avocados. We continue with proper packhouse practices and transport practices. The last step in the supply chain is the retail. Also the needed retail practices for avocados are described. The last two avocado pages deal with avocado quality and frequently occurring disorders and diseases. If you need direct consultation on proper postharvest management of avocados, please contact our expert through the contact form below.
Postharvest points of attention for avocado
The avocado supply chain
Best practices in each step of the fresh chain have a great influence on the postharvest quality and shelf-life of avocado. By applying appropriate harvest processes and chain conditions, quality can be guaranteed and shelf life can be extended. Failure to follow these processes may result in a high degree of food loss or deterioration of the product to a lower quality class. Every step in the chain is important for success later in the chain.
Harvest practices for avocado
Proper picking of avocado is a precondition to being successful in the rest of the supply chain. The performance of the pickers is therefore critical to deliver a good quality product. First of all, picking at the right maturity is important to develop a satisfactory taste. Picking and further handling must be done carefully to avoid bruising and other damages to the product. The use of clean and suitable materials such as harvest crates also serves this purpose.
Packhouse practices for avocado
Packhouse practices cover the activities from the moment the products arrive in the packhouse to the moment of transport/export to the intended market. Sorting, grading, packing and cooling are among the main activities. For avocado as well as for many other fruit, it is very important that the packhouse has sufficient capacity to cool down the products; as good temperature management is a requirement to maintain a good quality of horticultural produce. Furthermore, proper cleaning and sanitizing of building and equipment is part of good packhouse practices.
Transport practices for avocado
Transport of avocado generally takes place in (refrigerated) trucks, reefer containers, or by plane. Checks and proper loading are always important to maintain good (temperature) conditions for the product during transport. Refrigerated transport is often necessary. Trucks and reefers can maintain a low temperature, but do not have enough cooling capacity to lower the product temperature. Therefore, products must be pre-cooled before entering the refrigerated truck or reefer. During transport and waiting periods, the load must be well covered to protect against dust, sun and rain. Careful driving and handling are essential to prevent damage to produce from mechanical actions.
Retail practices for avocado
Improved retail practices can lead to a higher quality of avocados and improve customer satisfaction. For the highest freshness on the shelf and to minimize waste, 'first-in first-out' management may be the best strategy. However, quality inspections may lead to other decisions. The staff must be well trained in handling the different types of fresh produce. They must realize that fresh products are very susceptible to handling damage and to unfavourable conditions such as too low or too high temperature.
Avocado quality
Quality of avocado is defined by several quality attributes: the most important are appearance, colour, texture and flavour. Appearance and colour are examples of quality attributes judged on the outside , whereas texture and flavour are internal quality parameters. The quality attributes are influenced by variety, preharvest factors, harvest practices and postharvest handling. Determination of fruit quality provides an important indication of the remaining storage potential and shelf-life
Avocado disorder and diseases
Good quality avocados are free from diseases and disorders. Customers are not willing to purchase fruit presenting rots or damaged skin. Furthermore fruit that looks good on the outside but presenting brown flesh or soft texture will not lead to happy customers. There are dozens of different diseases and disorders, which are not always easy to recognize. A good diagnosis of the fruit’s health is important. By recognizing the symptoms of a disease or disorder, it can be linked to the cause. If you know the cause, you know what measures can be taken to prevent the disease or disorder in the future.
Research insights for postharvest management of avocado
In our applied research, we study postharvest management of many fresh products. On this page, some results from our research relevant for avocado are listed.