Post harvest Handling for

Organic Crops
Major Areas of Concern
Water
Manure and Municipal Biosolids
Worker Health and Hygiene
Sanitary Facilities
Field Sanitation
Packing Facility Sanitation
Transportation
Traceback
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)
Guidelines

Published by the FDA in

1998 as a guidance
document for produce
growers, packers and
shippers in the U.S.
What are GAPs?
Good Agricultural
Practices (GAPs) are
Irrigation
sanitary procedures used
during crop production,
Employee Hygiene
harvesting, packing and
shipping to prevent or
minimize produce
contamination with human
pathogens.
Cooling
Important Considerations
Focus is only on microbial hazards
Focus is on risk reduction, not elimination
Based on broad scientific principles
Must keep up with new information and
technologies
Pest Control
Water Quality and Safety
Be aware of potential sources of pathogens from
your water sources
Maintain wells in good condition
Be aware of current & historical use of land
Consider practices to protect water quality
Consider irrigation water quality & use
Microbial testing of water
Water Testing
Flowing Water (rivers, streams)
4 times per year

Impounded Water (ponds, lakes)

3 times per year before season begins
Processing Water
Practices that ensure & maintain quality
-sampling & micro. Testing
-develop SOPs for all processes using water
-clean/sanitize water contact surfaces
-install backflow devices & legal air gaps
-routinely inspect equipment used to maintain quality
Consider the water temperature for certain produce
Maintain efficacy of antimicrobials
Use appropriate wash methods
Contamination
from Manure

Application Timing

Proper Composting

Source of Manure
From Cornell GAPs program used with permission.
 There are many
opportunities for fresh
produce to be
contaminated by farm
workers

Farm Worker
Hygiene

Courtesy of Trevor Suslow

Field Sanitation

Clean harvest
containers and tools
daily.
Transportation Issues

Precooling, sanitation
and proper air delivery
are very important to
maintain the quality and
safety of produce.
 Traceability
1. Is a system of trace back available for the finished
product?
2. Is the finished product traceable to the packing house?
3. Is the finished product traceable to the specific
grower?
4. Is the finished product traceable to the specific
orchard or field?
5. Is the packing date identified on the finished product?
6. Is the harvest date traceable?
Source Verification
Where did it come from?
Who produced it?
Who handled it?
Good Handling Practices (Ghps)

Post Harvest Handling

Production Practices
Seed selection and cultivar selection
Cultural practices
Environmental Conditions at fruit set
Wind
Frost
Rain
Management Practices
Irrigation to much or to little
High rates of nitrogen (improper soil nutrition)
Mechanical injury
Use only composted manure (60 120 days)
depending on certifying agency and crop
Harvest Handling
Quality cannot be improved after harvest
Harvest at proper stage and size
During the coolest part of day
Keep in shade
Handle gently (moisture loss may be as much as
400% by single blemish)
Post Harvest and Storage
Consideration
Temperature
Packaging
Chilling injury
Preventing moisture loss
Sanitation
Ethylene
Mixed loads
Storage of crops
Temperature
Single Most Important Factor
Refrigeration retards (make slow rate of) :
Aging
Undesirable metabolic changes
Moisture loss
Spoilage from bacteria, fungi and yeasts
Undesirable growth, i.e. sprouting
Pre-cooling
First important step
To lowest safe temperature ASAP - critical for
crops with high respiration rates:
Broccoli
Asparagus
Green beans
Mushrooms
Sweet corn
Room Cooling
Not as efficient as some
Good as a pre-cooling method
Need good air circulation around containers
Forced Air Cooling
Cooling rate depends on air temperature and rate
of air flow
Generally 75-90% faster cooling

Note: to avoid over cooling and dehydration, do not

operate forced air fans after produce has been cooled to
correct temperature
Hydro-cooling
Very efficient method of cooling (removes heat 5
times faster than air but less energy-efficient)
Can serve as a means of cleaning
Reduces water loss
Chlorinate to reduce microorganisms
Not appropriate for: berries, potatoes, bulb
onions, others not suited to wetting
Top or Liquid Icing
Especially effective on dense products and
palletized products difficult to cool
Works well on high respiration products: sweet
corn, broccoli
One pound of ice cools ~three pounds of
produce
Vacuum Cooling
Water leaves crop and take heat with it
Produce sprayed with water first = Hydrovac
Cooling
Good for leafy vegetable which have a high
surface-to-volume ratio, i.e. greens
Chilling Injury
Some vegetables best stored just above freezing
Others best stored at 45F-55F
Both time and temperature involved
Effects of chilling injury are cumulative
Chilling Injury
Very sensitive crops are:
Basil
Cucumber
Eggplants
Pumpkins
Summer squash
Okra
Sweet potatoes
 Chilling Injury
Moderately sensitive:
Snap beans
Cantaloupe
Peppers
Winter squash
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Preventing Moisture Loss
Important in controlling moisture loss
Best range 80 -90% R. H.
Difficult for small producers
Sanitation becomes even more critical
Cool temperature important
Use a hygrometer to measure
Sanitation
Pathogens traced to fresh fruit and vegetables:
E. coli 0157:H7
Salmonella
Cryptosporidium
Hepatitis
Cyclospora

Chlorine is most often used

Caution organic growers, it is a restricted
material
Ozone
Hydrogen peroxide
Ethylene
Natural hormone produced by some fruits
Damaged fruit produces more
Do not store ethylene producers with fruits and
vegetables that are sensitive
Ethylene producers: apples, cantaloupes, peaches,
pears, plums, tomatoes
Mixed Loads
Combine only products that are compatible with
respect to:
Temperature
Relative humidity
Oxygen and carbon dioxide
Protect from odors
Ethylene protection
Summary

Quality cannot be improved post harvest

Product Safety begins in the field (GAPs)

Summary (continued)
High Quality and Good Shelf Life Depends On:
Sound production practices
Proper handling during harvest
Appropriate post harvest handling and storage
Key Factors
o Temperature
o Relative humidity