| General note |
Chapter 1 –<br/>Marketing system for fresh produce in the United States - R. Brian How –<br/>I. Changing patterns in food consumption, markets, and supply sources –<br/>II. Marketing system for fresh fruits and vegetables –<br/>III. Current practices - a critical assessment –<br/>Chapter 2 –<br/>Challenges in handling fresh fruits and vegetables - Robert L. Shewfelt and Stanley E. Prussia –<br/>I. Handling of fruits and vegetables from farm to consumer –<br/>II. Toward a more integrated approach to handling –<br/>III. Challenges amenable to systems solutions –<br/>Chapter 3 –<br/>Systems approach to postharvest handling - Stanley E. Prussia and Robert l. Shewfelt –<br/>I. Postharvest systems –<br/>II. Systems approaches –<br/>III. Applications of a systems approach to postharvest handling –<br/>IV. Implications of a systems approach to postharvest handling – <br/>V. Summary –<br/>Chapter 4 –<br/>Preharvest physiological and cultural effects on postharvest quality - R. B. Beverly, J. G. latimer, and D. A. Smittle –<br/>I. Introduction –<br/>II. Whole plant model: physiological responses to environmental effects –<br/>III. Whole field model: cultural practices to optimize produce quality –<br/>IV. Coordinating production and marketing to enhance quality –<br/>V. Future directions in production research and management –<br/>Chapter 5 –<br/>Measuring quality and maturity - Robert l. Shewfelt –<br/>I. Quality and acceptability –<br/>II. Commodity-specific quality attributes –<br/>III. Sample collection and preparation –<br/>IV. maturity indices –<br/>V. Measuring quality –<br/>VI. Sensory evaluation techniques –<br/>VII. Quality in a systems context –<br/>Chapter 6 –<br/>Microbial quality - Robert E. Brackett –<br/>I. Microorganisms of concerns –<br/>II. Factors affecting microbial growth –<br/>III. Factors affecting microbial quality –<br/>IV. Methods to evaluate microbial quality –<br/>V. Maintaining optimal quality –<br/>Chapter 7 –<br/>Measuring and modeling consumer acceptance - Stanley N. Fletcher, Anna V. A. Resurreccion, and Sukant K. Misra –<br/>I. Introduction –<br/>II. Data collection –<br/>III. Modeling –<br/>IV. Hypothetical illustration of a consumer acceptance test –<br/>Chapter 8 –<br/>Modeling quality characteristics - Chi N. Thai –<br/>I. Introduction –<br/>II. General approach to modeling –<br/>III. Models of fruit and vegetable quality –<br/>IV. Conclusions –<br/>Chapter 9 –<br/>Visual inspections and sorting: finding poor quality before the consumer does - Frank Bollen, Stanley E. Prussia, and Amos Lidror –<br/>I. Background –<br/>II. Design and operation of sorting equipment –<br/>III. Analysis of sorting operations –<br/>IV. Economics of sorting operations –<br/>V. Summary –<br/>Chapter 10 –<br/>Latent damage: a systems perspective - Yen-Con Hung –<br/>I. Types of latent damage –<br/>II. Importance of latent damage –<br/>III. Implications –<br/>IV. Future directions –<br/>Chapter 11 –<br/>Nondestructive evaluation: detection of external and internal attributes frequently associated with quality or damage - E. W. Tollner, J. K. Brecht, and B. L. Upchurch –<br/>I. Optical evaluation: surface appearance and internal attributes –<br/>II. Acoustic or ultrasonic evaluation: firmness, texture and maturity –<br/>III. X-ray and gamma ray evaluation: solids distribution and density –<br/>IV. Nuclear magnetic resonance evaluation: internal features and composition –<br/>V. Electrical property evaluation –<br/>VI. Far-infrared thermography evaluation: surface damage –<br/>VII. Fluidized bed evaluation: density –<br/>VIII. "Pseudoproduct" and "biosensors" –<br/>IX. Conclusions –<br/>Chapter 12 –<br/>Stress physiology: a cellular approach to quality - Robert L. Shewfelt –<br/>I. Types of postharvest stress –<br/>II. Factors in stress response –<br/>III. Site of stress response –<br/>IV. Molecular biology of harvested tissue –<br/>V. Implications for quality management –<br/>Chapter 13 –<br/>Quality management: an industrial approach to produce handling - Amos Lidror and Stanley E. Prussia –<br/>I. Quality management –<br/>II. Outlines of quality control techniques for agricultural products –<br/>III. Quality assurance techniques for further improving produce quality –<br/>IV. Systems used for quality assurance –<br/>Chapter 14 –<br/>Produce marketing: new techniques at the supermarket - Stanley M. Fletcher –<br/>I. Introduction –<br/>II. Historical overview of scanning –<br/>III. Hard and soft benefits of scanning –<br/>IV. Bar codes –<br/>V. Marketing opportunities –<br/>Chapter 15 –<br/>Food safety: critical points within the production and distribution system - Robert E. Brackett, David M. Smallwood, Stanley M. Fletcher, and Dan L. Horton –<br/>I. Consumer perceptions –<br/>II. Chemical and pesticide safety –<br/>III. Microbiological safety –<br/>IV. Conclusions –<br/>Chapter 16 –<br/>Interdisciplinary solutions to challenges in postharvest handling - Robert L. Shewfelt and Stanley E. Prussia –<br/>I. Current disciplinary perspectives –<br/>II. Postharvest challenges –<br/>III. Interdisciplinary solutions –<br/>IV. Future opportunities. |
| Summary, etc |
"This book represents a decade of experience moving away from traditional perspectives for postharvest research and toward the development of future research approaches using a systems approach to focus on problems uncovered by systems thinking. As we embarked on our research careers in the early 1980s, we saw a need for greater integration across disciplines in postharvest studies. In our early discussions, it became apparent that many postharvest problems were not being studied because the standard tools available to the technologist or physiologist were not suitable. We chose a systems approach as the tool to study the problems that were being ignored. This book reports on the insights gained, the knowledge needed to adapt a systems approach in research and commercial settings, and potential benefits to be derived.<br/>We wrote Postharvest Handling: A Systems Approach for commercial handlers of produce and scientists conducting research with the objective of improving handling of fresh produce. Practical problems facing the produce industry frequently are too complex for simple solutions by a single investigator. Teams of scientists and engineers who can integrate knowledge at the stages of problem definition and experimental design stages are more likely to provide practical solutions to real problems. Systems thinking provides the means to integrate disciplinary perspectives.<br/>We present here an integrated overview of the entire handling and distribution system from the field to the consumer. The book begins with an introduction to fresh fruit and vegetable distribution and to the many challenges facing the industry as viewed from marketing (Chapter 1) and material handling (Chapter 2) perspectives. Subsequent chapters discuss the historical development of a systems approach as applied to postharvest handling (Chapter 3), implications for production phase operations (Chapter 4), specific aspects of research methodology (Chapters 5 and 6), the use of mathematical modeling techniques (Chapters 7 and 8), a current perspective of critical issues in postharvest research (Chapters 9-15), and new approaches for solving postharvest problems (Chapter 16).<br/>The decade of the 1990s presents a golden opportunity for postharvest research. Health-conscious consumers seek more fresh or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, while demanding fresher, fuller flavor. Systems thinking suggests that advances will occur as the market shifts from a production orientation to a consumer orientation. Postharvest research efforts must achieve greater integration among physiology, technology, and economics, adopt team efforts to solve postharvest problems, and provide a scientific base for quality management programs.<br/>Postharvest Handling: A Systems Approach is unique in its integration of economic, engineering, food science, and plant science perspectives on fresh fruits and vegetables. It provides tools to answer questions that cannot be answered by traditional research. Other books are available that provide more in-depth presentations of specific aspects of fruit and vegetable quality and storage, harvesting and handling operations, marketing and distribution, plant production, postharvest physiology, postharvest technology, or systems theory. We hope that this book will help link these diverse topics into an united approach for future studies.<br/>This book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of numerous people. Michael O'Brien and Herb Hultin taught us to question assumptions and think independently. Brahm Verma and Tom Nakayama identified postharvest handling as an interdisciplinary research priority in the early 1980s, hired us to initiate new programs, and encouraged us to pursue a systems approach when many others were skeptical. Bill Hurst, Jeff Jordan, and Stephen Myers were active collaborators on research projects. Bill Bramlage, Tim Holt, Chris Hubbert, Adel Kader, Stan Kays, Barry McGlasson, Justin Morris, Dick Schoorl, Chein-Yi Wang, and Bruce Wasserman offered constructive criticism of our ideas as we formulated our approach. Tim Campbell and Joe Garner coordinated postharvest team research efforts. Marlene Brooks, Mike Dosier, Bob Flewellen, Larry Hitch- cock, Sue Ellen McCullough, Haley Manley, Durward Smith, and Eddie Stone provided the technical assistance needed to collect experimental data. Ann Autry, Kim Santerre, and Doris Walton typed the bulk of the manuscripts. Our families endured the ordeal of lectures and haranguing on the benefits and drawbacks of interdisciplinary research and obstinate collaborators as well as deadlines associated with this book." -<br/>Griffin, Georgia May 1992<br/>Robert L. Shewfelt Stanley E. Prussia |
