CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Several studies are already conducted as years passed by regarding the

problems of fruit abrasion, damages, rotting, and bruises. Different studies and

different researches from all over the world including the Philippines. This just

indicates that the problem being addressed in this study is widespread and is

rampant in the agricultural world. However, it’s is not just the concern of the

agricultural world but also to the public, the society, and even in the world of

business whenever transactions are bound to happen.

The alteration of the quality of fruits according to Ikinci (2012) et. al,

depends on its mechanical and physical wounding. “Mechanical damage means

bruising, crushing, or rupturing for the vegetables and fruits. Bruising is one of

the most important limiting factors in producing quality fruit and vegetables. The

occurrence of bruising depends on the direct mechanical damaging of the fruits.

Fruit bruising is an important factor limiting mechanization and automation in

harvesting, sorting, and transport of soft fruits and vegetables. Physical wounding

may occur at any time from harvest until the fruit is consumed. Wounds may

include punctures, cuts, and various types of bruises. Punctures and cuts are easily

recognized, and should be prevented as much as possible. Bruises can occur due

to rough or improper handling, poorly designed equipment, improper packaging,

or inadequate supervision during handling of the fruit.” (Ikinci et.al.). According

to Afsharnia (2017) et.al, the quality of fruits can be decreased because of some

alteration and excessive impacts which was obtained during the time of harvest.

One of the most common mechanical damage that can alter the good quality of

fruits is the damage of abrasion. Moreover, several studies show that the rotting,

abrasion, and bruising of fruits are commonly induced during postharvest

management. Here in this stage, the quality of fruits depends on the way fruits are

managed. “Obviously, postharvest management determines food quality and

safety, competitiveness in the market, and the profits earned by producers. The

postharvest management of fruit and vegetables in most developing countries in

the region is, however, far from satisfactory. The major constraints include

inefficient handling and transportation; poor technologies for storage, processing,

and packaging; involvement of too many diverse actors; and poor infrastructure.”

[ Asian Productivity Organization (APO)]. The problem of the damaging of fruits

is the most common problem faced by the fruit vendors all over the world

including the Philippines. However, same to the cases in the foreign countries

“the bountiful harvest are wasted during the distribution process due to a number

of reasons: use of inappropriate containers, poor road conditions, high

temperatures, and rough handling. Postharvest losses could be up to 50%.”

(AARDO).“The Philippines is no exception to the situation in developing

countries wherein one of the major causes of post-harvest losses is lack of proper

facilities. Highly perishable produce requires adequate storage facilities with well-

maintained conditions mainly temperature and relative humidity. The absence of

storage facilities leave the farmers no choice but to sell their product at low
market prices of leave their product unharvested or face the risk of total loss in the

case of delayed collection by transporters, wholesale or retail stores. This is often

the case for most farmers in the country. There is a need to organize small farmers

and producers to have an efficient marketing and distribution system to minimize

these losses, particularly for fruits and vegetables.” (ARRDO) The losses of the

quantity of fruits will result into such thing as food loss. This in turn will affect

the farmers and the business sectors considering the worth of amounts wasted due

to this threatening issue. “There is enough food in the world for everyone, but

one-third of all food is wasted globally according to the Food and Agriculture

Organization (Gustavsson et al., 2011). Latest findings of the FAO from 2013

showed over 1.3 billion tons of food is lost each year. Food loss in developing

countries like the Philippines occurs even before consumption. Food losses were

already accounted as early as the production, postharvest stages and storage of

agricultural produce. The large losses from farm to plate are attributed to poor

handling, distribution, storage, and consumption behavior. Huge resources that

could otherwise be spent on more productive activities go into producing and

transporting goods that only go to waste (Manalili et al., 2014). In addition,

logistics in production and distribution is affected by the archipelagic nature of

the country. Agricultural produce are usually collected and combined by traders

who transport and sell the produce to the wholesale and retail market (Nuevo and

Apaga, 2010). This system in the food value chain from the farmers to the

consumers contributes to the food loss and waste in the country. Among the

agricultural produce in the Philippines, horticultural crops contribute to 44% of

the total volume of food crops. These crops are important contributors to the

Philippine economy in terms of export earnings. Average post-harvest losses are

42% for vegetables and 28% for fruits. Losses are highest for pineapple at 30-

40% and banana which can reach to as high as 35%. These general estimates are

supported by a few studies of specific commodities. Most postharvest mango

losses are the result of disease, but there was also a general weight loss of 6-10%

from dehydration, while the comparable weight loss for papaya was 13%.

Common causes of postharvest losses are diverse, but the most common are over

ripening, disease, harvesting when the fruit is too immature, and mechanical

damage. For fruits and vegetables, maturity at harvest is a major determinant of

quality and shelf life of the produce, especially for highly perishable crops like

fruits and vegetables. Immature fruits are harvested due to insecurity and fear of

theft. Immature fruits are prone to mechanized damage and weight loss often

leading to shrivelling, and have inferior eating quality. Both immature and mature

fruits are highly susceptible to physiological disorders. Premature harvest leads to

reduce nutritional and economic value. Sometimes the produce might be totally

lost as it may not be suitable for consumption. The nature of the packaging

material also affects the quantity of losses which is often the result of injuries

from punctures and compression. The effect of the transport and logistics to food

losses is evident in the multi layered system of the supply chain in the country.

Produce from the farms are bought by wholesalers, traders and processors from

the urban market. The kind of transport system also influenced the supply chain.

In an archipelagic country like the Philippines, the time span between production
and consumption is of particular importance for highly perishable agricultural

produce. Poor roads, inefficient logistical management, lack of proper

transportation vehicles hinder proper conservation of perishable commodities.

Mechanical damage of the products is a precedent to major food losses due to the

deteriorative nature of those mechanical injuries. Annual post-harvest losses for

fruits and vegetable of 35 to 50% rooted in poor infrastructure. Open air markets

which do not practice or employ food safety practices results in food losses

because of belief from the consumers that their products are not safe and are

therefore discarded when left unsold. High losses in the retail stage occur in

commodities like fruits and vegetables, dairy products, bakery goods and cooked

foods. Product specifications dictated by the manufacturers also account for

rejects of produce which are usually discarded even before reaching the

processing plant. Physical injuries due to transport and logistics caused defects

that deem these produce not suitable for processing. In the processing plants,

inedible portions are also accounted as part of food waste. ” (Mopera 2016)

Abrasion and fruit bruises might just be things that one can ignore but

merely, it is a threat. This is a threat not only to the few but to the large group of

people running this society particularly farmers, consumers, and business sectors.

Agriculture is a viable contributor to the economy through its numerous high

value products for the global market. These produce are considered valuable if

they are not wasted in the supply chain. Food losses are generally incurred from

postharvest handling and distribution. The lack of storage and processing

facilities, packaging materials, infrastructures, and regulatory standards for local

produce are some of the reasons for huge losses in agriculture. (Mopera 2016)