The Postharvest Technical Service, formed by a team of professionals with a wide experience in fruits and vegetables, emerged as a result of fruit sector requirements. Its main goal is to offer assistance for the improvement of the quality, the management and the storage of fruits and vegetables during the postharvest period through continuous support of the packing house in the control, measurement and analysis of the facilities, equipments and specific processes of the packing house.
Services
1. Technical assistance during the postharvest life of fruits and vegetables:
-
-
Delivery of an annual Recommendations Guide adapted to the characteristics of each packing house.
-
-
-
Control of the cleaning and disinfection process of the facilities, equipments and bins, recommending the most suitable active material.
-
-
-
Recommendation of the appropriate postharvest treatment for each specific situation.
-
-
-
Quality analysis of fruits and their aptitude for storage.
-
-
-
Checking storage room loading and stacking and of the optimum parameters for cold storage and for degreening of citrus fruits.
-
-
-
Review of storage parameters, monitoring of the condition of the fruit and contamination of the storage room during the entire season.
-
-
Recommendations for the conditioning of fruits following quality standard protocols established by the customers.
2. Implementation and follow up of quality control systems:
External assessment of the followings aspects:
-
-
Compulsory food safety control systems: HACCP and traceability. Study and application of individual solutions.
-
-
-
Optional quality control systems: ISO 9002, Global Gap, BRC, IFS, Nature Choice, specific customer requirements.
-
-
Checking quality control system protocols cited above: internal audits and non conformities detected in external audits.
3. Execution of specific studies for packing houses or auxiliary companies of the fruit sector, as:
-
-
Efficacy of new products in postharvest and of alternatives that are more environmentally friendly.
-
-
-
Process optimization: maintenance of the cold chain, chlorination, sanitation of packing house facilities and bins, etc.
-
-
Determination of impact points in grading and packing lines through electronic fruits and determination of possible solutions.
- Application of new technology and techniques: study of atmosphere composition, non destructive systems for product control, modified atmosphere packaging, etc.
4. Training:
- Food Manipulation Courses.
- Implementation of quality control system protocols: Traceability, HACCP, ISO 9002, Global GAP, etc.
- Specifics courses adapted to specific packing house demands: bin stacking, storage, disorder en disease identification, etc.
