Studies on quality of southern highbush blueberry cultivars: effects of pulp temperature, impact and hydrocooling

Sargent, Steven A.; Berry, Adrian D.; Brecht, J. K.; Santana, Márcio José de; Zhang, S.; Ristow, N. C.

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2017.1180.70

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…It is less likely that harvest impacts reduced blueberry TTA; blueberries at 30 • C were dropped once from 60 cm (simulating commercial mechanical harvest) had up to four times higher respiration rate and greater than twice the ethylene production than undropped fruit at the same temperature without a resultant effect on TTA [17]. Impacted fruit did not have lower TTA than HH in another study by Casamali, et al [9] nor in the present study.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 55%

Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-The-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Handheld Shakers and Soft Catch Surfaces

et al. 2019

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Fresh market southern highbush blueberries are typically hand-harvested which requires an extensive labor force over a relative short period of time. With rising production costs and labor availability issues, interest in mechanical harvesting options is increasing. In 2017, an over-the-row (OTR) harvester was modified to reduce purchase cost while making hand labor more efficient. The picking heads were removed and dual worker stations were added on each side of the unit. Handheld olive shakers were suspended at each station. Experimental catch plates were installed on one side of the OTR harvester and soft, inclined surfaces over the rigid conveyors on both sides. 'Meadowlark' and 'Farthing' blueberries were harvested with this system and compared to those manually harvested by a commercial harvest crew. Samples from each harvest method were then commercially cooled and mechanically harvested fruit were commercially packed to determine packout data. Fruit firmness, bruise severity and composition were determined after one day at room temperature (22 • C) and after seven and fourteen days of storage at 1 • C. Average packout was very high for mechanically harvested fruit, 87% for 'Meadowlark' and 91% for 'Farthing'. Initial firmness of both cultivars was lower for mechanically harvested fruit (208 g/mm) than hand-harvested fruit (243 g/mm). Fruit from the three treatments softened during storage, and although 'Meadowlark' remained firmer than 'Farthing' during storage, there were no differences due to catch surfaces. Hand-harvested fruit had no severe bruising (>20% of cut surface area) at harvest, increasing to 2% after seven days, while mechanically harvested fruit from both fruit collection surfaces had 3% initial severe bruising that increased to 22% during storage. 'Farthing' had slightly higher soluble solids content and significantly higher total titratable acidity compared to 'Meadowlark'. Additional modifications must be made to the next-generation OTR harvester to further reduce blueberry harvest and handling impacts.Agriculture 2020, 10, 4 2 of 15 shipments of blueberries from Mexico into the United States during this early season is reducing wholesale prices received by Florida blueberry growers. From 2009 to 2016, U.S. blueberry exports have remained flat (approximately 18,145 metric tons), while U.S. imports during that same period almost tripled [2]. SHB cultivars have historically been softer than northern highbush blueberry (NHB) (V. corymbosum) cultivars, limiting SHB to hand-harvest for fresh market. SHB are only mechanically harvested during the latter part of the season when it is no longer economical to harvest by hand. Mechanically harvested fruit may either go to the fresh or processed market depending on the cultivar and condition of the fruit. To reduce labor costs, blueberry growers in Florida, in other production areas across the United States and in major blueberry producing countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, Chile, and Poland), are increasingly showing interest in adopting mechanic...

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 55%

Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-The-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Handheld Shakers and Soft Catch Surfaces

et al. 2019

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“…The use of water, especially with sanitizer, has been reported to be effective for the reduction of microbial loads from minimally processed fruit like blueberry (Li and Wu, 2013;Tadepalli et al, 2018) and table grapes (Vitis vinifera) (Ergun and Do gan, 2018). Previous studies also reported that the utilization of hydrocooling with sanitized water did not affect the postharvest quality of strawberries (Fragaria ·ananassa) (Ferreira et al, 2006) or blueberries (Sargent et al, 2017). Several other technologies, including the use of water-assisted pulsed-light (PL) processing (Cao et al, 2017;Huang and Chen, 2014;Huang et al, 2015), ultraviolet light radiation treatments (Kim and Hung, 2012), gamma irradiation (Wang et al, 2017), and chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) gas treatments (Sun et al, 2014), have been developed and tested for efficacy to improve the postharvest shelf life of blueberries during cold storage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Free chlorine levels were adjusted using a 5.7% to 6% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution (Fisher Scientific), and the pH was adjusted using 50% citric acid (Alcide Corp., Redmond, WA). The FAC and hydrocooling times were selected to achieve 7/8 cooling, which is a decrease in fruit temperature equal to 7/8 of the difference between the initial fruit temperature and the cooling medium temperature (Sargent et al, 2017). Water temperature, pH, and free Cl concentration were measured before and after immersion of the clamshells with blueberries.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Outbreaks associated with blueberries have involved organisms such as Salmonella (Miller et al, 2013) and hepatitis A (Calder et al, 2003). Intervention strategies such as hydrocooling (Sargent et al, 2017) can be used to reduce the microbial load on the surface of fruit that presents an increased risk of crosscontamination and reduction in quality Tokarskyy et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These make predicting the shelf life a difficult task compared with predicting that of other food products. Postharvest temperature management in the blueberry industry is a key factor that contributes to fruit quality and shelf life (Sargent et al, 2017). Postharvest abiotic and biotic deterioration can be controlled by reducing the storage temperature and respiration rate, and by modifying the atmosphere surrounding the product (Van Hoorn, 2004).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing the Efficacy of Postharvest Cooling Methods to Enhance Fruit Quality and Reduce Salmonella in Artificially Inoculated Southern Highbush Blueberry

Sreedharan

et al. 2019

hortte

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Cooling procedures used by blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) growers often may include delays up to 24 hours that can damage the fruit through rough handling and adverse temperatures, thereby potentially compromising quality and, subsequently, safety. The objectives of this experiment were to compare forced-air cooling (FAC) compared to hydrocooling without sanitizer (HW) and hydrocooling with sanitizer (HS) regarding the quality and shelf life of southern highbush blueberry [SHB (Vaccinium corymbosum)] and to determine the efficacy of these treatments for reducing Salmonella in SHB. Freshly harvested SHB that were inoculated with a five-serovar cocktail of rifampin-resistant Salmonella were rapidly chilled by FAC or hydrocooling (HW and HS) using a laboratory model system. FAC did not show any significant reduction (P > 0.05) in Salmonella or in the effects on the microbiological quality of blueberries. HW and HS reduced Salmonella by ≈2 and >4 log cfu/g SHB, respectively, on day 0. These postharvest treatments were also evaluated for their ability to help maintain fruit quality throughout a storage period of 21 days at 1 °C. Hydrocooling (both HS and HW) provided more rapid cooling than FAC. Hydrocooled blueberries showed significant weight gain (P < 0.05), whereas FAC resulted in a slight, but insignificant (P > 0.05), reduction in final weight. The results of hydrocooling, both HS and HW, shown in this study could help to extend the shelf life while maintaining or increasing the microbiological quality of fresh market blueberries. Information obtained by this study can be used for developing the best temperature management practices to maintain the postharvest safety and quality of blueberries.

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Evaluation and Comparison of Postharvest Cooling Methods on the Microbial Quality and Storage of Florida Peaches

Bertoldi

Jubair

et al. 2020

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Florida peaches (Prunus persica) typically are picked and placed in a cold room on the day of harvest, then packed and shipped the next day. This room cooling (RC) is slow, requiring ≈24 hours or more for the fruit to reach optimal temperature (6 to 7 °C). There is currently limited research on the effect of cooling practices on microbial quality of peaches, yet this study is essential for decision making in areas such as upgrading packing house facilities and the implementation of improved handling procedures. This research compared the efficacies of postharvest cooling by RC, forced-air cooling (FAC), and hydrocooling with sanitizer (HS) treatment of peaches to reduce their surface microbial population and to determine the effect on shelf life and microbial quality. Three trials for RC and two trials each for FAC and HS were performed. Following cooling, fruit were stored at 1 °C. The average aerobic plate count (APC) from field samples was 5.29 log cfu/peach, which remained unchanged after RC or FAC but was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) to 4.63 log cfu/peach after HS. The average yeast and mold counts (Y&M) from field samples (6.21 log cfu/peach) were reduced highly significantly (P < 0.001) to 4.05 log cfu/peach after HS. Hydrocooling significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the APC and Y&M counts from the peaches and showed promise in maintaining the microbiological quality of the fruit throughout storage. However, at the end of the 21-day storage period, there was no significant difference in APC or Y&M counts from peaches, irrespective of the cooling methods. Peaches that went through the hydrocooling process and were subsequently packed showed an increase (P < 0.05) in both APC and Y&M counts, while fruit that were not hydrocooled showed no such increase. Information obtained will be used to recommend the best temperature management practices for maintaining the postharvest quality of peaches. A detailed cost-benefit analysis of different cooling methods and the time interval between harvest and shipment are both necessary for a more conclusive recommendation.

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Studies on quality of southern highbush blueberry cultivars: effects of pulp temperature, impact and hydrocooling

Cited by 6 publications

References 5 publications

Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-The-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Handheld Shakers and Soft Catch Surfaces

Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-The-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Handheld Shakers and Soft Catch Surfaces

Comparing the Efficacy of Postharvest Cooling Methods to Enhance Fruit Quality and Reduce Salmonella in Artificially Inoculated Southern Highbush Blueberry

Evaluation and Comparison of Postharvest Cooling Methods on the Microbial Quality and Storage of Florida Peaches

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