Issue |
MATEC Web Conf.
Volume 296, 2019
2019 7th International Conference on Traffic and Logistic Engineering (ICTLE 2019)
|
|
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Article Number | 02004 | |
Number of page(s) | 10 | |
Section | Logistics Engineering | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201929602004 | |
Published online | 22 October 2019 |
Assessment and Characterizing Mechanical Damage in Packaged Bananas in the Post-harvest Supply Chain
1 National Centre for Ports and Shipping, Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania, Australia.
2 ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products, University of Tasmania, Australia.
3 Centre for Food Innovation, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), University of Tasmania, Australia
a Corresponding author: Indika.fernando@utas.edu.au
Quality deterioration in packaged bananas caused by mechanical damage along the post-harvest supply chains (SC) remains obscure until the packages are unpacked for sale at the retail stores and therefore, the mechanism of damage occurrence remains unclear. This study assessed the mechanical damage levels of bananas in 300 cartons from pack houses to retail stores in Australia. The damage across the SC were shown to be progressive across the SC. Bruising and neck damage levels in bananas increased from the distribution centre (DC) to the retail stores. Mechanical damage in unripe bananas was influenced by the package location in the stacked-pallet, and the transport and handling of packages within the last-mile of the SC (DC to retail) further exacerbated the damage. This study further characterized the damage development by subjecting packaged bananas to simulated vibration, top-load compression and drop impact. It was revealed that the exposure to vibration resulted in rubbing; top-load package compression contributed to bruising and, the drop impact caused severe neck injuries in bananas. The knowledge of the damage incidences across the SC and causes of damage may contribute to the development of interventions targeted at improving the quality of bananas in the post-harvest SC in Australia.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2019
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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