Quality Evaluation of Fruits and Vegetables in Mixed Cargo Exported by Sea

• Published in: Horticulture journal Vol. 88; no. 4; pp. 548 - 558
• Main Authors: Ikegaya, Atsushi, Toyoizumi, Tomoyasu, Ohba, Seiji, Nakajima, Teruko, Nagafuji, Akihiko, Nakamura, Shigekazu, Ito, Seiko, Arai, Eiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japanese Society for Horticultural Science 01.01.2019; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Air temperature; Cargo; Containers; export; Exports; Fruits; fruits and vegetables; Lettuces; Mandarins; mixed cargo; Onions; Packaging; Quality assessment; reefer container; Sensory evaluation; Storage; Storage temperature; Vegetables; Weight loss; Weight reduction
• ISSN: 2189-0102; 2189-0110
• DOI: 10.2503/hortj.UTD-077

The objective of this study was to clarify the effects on quality when exporting small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables by mixed loading. When exporting small amounts of multiple varieties of fruits and vegetables, it is essential to reduce transport costs by using reefer containers for mixed cargo. A lot of research has been conducted on the distribution and storage technology of fruits and vegetables. However, conditions and techniques have primarily been examined only for single items, and research on transporting mixed cargo has not been done. In this study, we used a new reefer container with only marginal internal temperature variability (set to 0°C), and exported fruits and vegetables by sea as a mixed cargo. Subsequently, the fruits and vegetables exported by sea were compared by sensory evaluation with those exported by air. Satsuma mandarins, onions, salad onions, Welsh onion leaf blades, and lettuces were almost the same quality when shipped by sea as by air without any specific treatment. Other items such as tatsois and Welsh onion stems required film, plastic bags, and other packaging to reduce fresh weight loss when exporting by sea. These results suggest that fruits and vegetables can be exported by sea with similar quality to that by air. However, it is necessary to consider the storage temperature, packaging material and conditions, and item selection.