MANAGEMENT OF HORTOFRUIT CENTERS AND FOOD LOSSES
The main task of hortofruit centers is the conditioning and standardization of fresh agricultural products intended for human consumption.
To accomplish this, there are facilities, materials, supplies, machinery, and human resources that must be suitable and trained for these tasks.
In the specific case of citrus, there are operations that will significantly impact the generation of losses. These operations will have repercussions on the fruit's condition: treatment in a drencher, de-greening, refrigerated conservation, plant cleaning and disinfection, and inventory management.
The quality of the fruit and the conditions in which it is supplied to the warehouse are factors that will influence subsequent operations but are predetermined at the time of entry. The central management's mission is to control and report any problems that may affect losses.
Simultaneously, these managers must establish corresponding plans to, based on these entry conditions, plan the warehouse's own operations in accordance with them and always with the aim of minimizing losses, in coordination with different departments of the company.
Thus, stock management becomes a fundamental operation in loss control. On the one hand, it must ensure that the fruit is harvested according to its optimal ripeness, and on the other hand, it must guarantee the necessary supply for the preparation of commercial orders. At the same time, it must establish a rotation and quantities in stock that prevent the degradation and loss of the fresh food's condition intended for human consumption
TOWARDS A NEW ZERO FOOD WASTE MINDSET BASED ON HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT
Ongoing | 2022-2027
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece