Mechanical and Temperature Effects on Shelf Life Stability of Fruits and Vegetables - Food Shelf Life Stability: Chemical, Biochemical, and Microbiological Changes - page 45

TABLE 2.2
Examples of Incidence of Mechanical Injury on Selected Fruits and Vegetables

Agricultural Product Type of Injury Causes

Fruits
Apples Bruising Rough handling

Citrus Oil spotting — bruise injury Rough handling

Cranberries Bruising Impact or pressure during handling

Grapes Bruising Over-packing of containers

Peaches, plums, nectarines,
apricots, and cherries

Bruising Over-packing of containers

Vibration during transit

Pears Friction bruising Rubbing with hard surfaces

Impact and pressure bruising Rough handling

Persimmons Bruising Rough handling

Vegetables and Melons
Artichoke Scuffing Rubbing of bulbs against each other

and with the container

Split bracts Excessive force during harvesting

and handling

Asparagus Broken tips Rough handling

Crushed spears Overpacking of container

Cantaloupes Bruising and scuffing Rough handling

In-transit damage

Leeks Butchered lower ends Excessive trimming

(Head) Lettuce Crushing Rough handling

Bruising Overfilling of containers

Torn tissue Dropping of containers

Compression due to stacking of
filled containers

Melons, honeydew Bruising or cutting Impact or pressure in handling

watermelons Bruising at the thin blossom-end Rough handling

Loading pattern

Mushrooms Finger marks, cuts, bruises Rough handling

Onions Bruising Machine harvesting

Cuts Rubbing against rough surfaces

Summer squash Scratches, bruising, and scuffing Rough handling

Data from Ryall, A. L. and Lipton, W. J., Handling Transportation and Storage of Fruits and Vegetables,
Vol. 1, AVI Publishing Company, Westport, CT, 1972 and Ryall, A. L. and Pentzer, W. T., Handling,
Transportation and Storage of Fruits and Vegetables, Vol. 2, AVI Publishing Company, Westport, CT, 1974.

were in a state of disrepair, causing puncture and abrasive injury on the fruits. Down
grading of tomatoes in the U.S. is caused mainly by injuries during mechanical
harvesting, representing 25% of culls among partially ripe fruits and 21% of culls
among mature-green fruits. 12
From a survey conducted by the National Material Handling Bureau of Australia,
15% of the potatoes were damaged during harvesting and 35 to 57% after storage. 13