LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

MODULE 2

Course Code : FSM 10

Course Title : FOOD PROCESSING
Topic : Post Harvest, Post Slaughter and Pre-processing Operations
Time Frame : 1 hour

Introduction:
Fresh product like fruits and vegetables are living structures. These materials continue
physiological and metabolic reactions even after detachment from the mother plant. All of these
processes are dependent on the food reserves accumulated in the particular tissue at the time of
harvest. These accumulated reserves will determine the quality and shelf life of the product.

Objectives:
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Analyze the techniques in selecting the raw materials and other ingredients in processed food.
2. Sort and grades fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and fish according to specification.
3. Determine some preliminary operations prior to canning.

Pre-Test: (Note: Pre-Test is indicated in a separate sheet)

Learning Activities:

A. Content/Discussion

Post Harvest Behavior of Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh produce like fruits and vegetables are living structures. These materials continue
physiological reactions even after detachment from the mother plant.
Complex chemical and biochemical reactions take place within all plant cells during growth,
development or maturation, ripening and finally senescence.

Stages of Fruit Development

1. Growth. Maximum fruit size is achieved by cell
division and subsequently by enlargement of the
cells.
2. Maturation. The accumulation of reserves,
such as sugars, starch, lipids, has reached
maximum. The end point of this stage is full
maturity.
3. Ripening. Complex changes take place such as
color development, fruit softening and the and
the formation of an abscission layer between the
fruits stem and the mother plant. Ripening can
occur while still attached to the mother plant
after picking.
4. Optimum ripeness. The fruit would have obtained optimum external and internal color, texture
and flavour (aroma and taste). The seeds are fully developed and ready to grow into a new plant
5. Senescence. The fruit becomes too soft, there is a loss of moisture and flavour and becomes
more susceptible to microbial spoilage. This is the stage we call initially call overripe which will
eventually call overripe which will eventually lead to decay.

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Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Storage

The following practices are done to prevent early spoilage of fruits:
1. Care to prevent cutting or bruising of the fruit during picking or handling
2. Refrigeration to minimize growth of micro-organisms and reduce enzyme activity;
3. Packaging or storage to control respiration rate and ripening.
4. Use of preservatives to kill microorganisms on the fruit.

Fruit Ripening

2 Basic Groups of Fruits and Vegetables

1. Climacteric- fruits that are harvested mature but unripe. Examples are mango, banana,
avocado, papaya, tomato.
2. Non-Climacteric-group that does not exhibit any change in respiration pattern and do
not ripen after picking so are harvested at the stage of ripeness desired. Examples are
pineapple, citrus, strawberry, grapes and cucumber.

Control of Respiration. Delaying the ripening process can be done by controlling respiration.
1. Maturity at Picking- Fruits picked immediately before or during the climacteric rise will ripen
quickly. Too early picking will inhibit ethylene production and prevent the fruit from ripening
and even if treated with externally sourced ethylene gas or ethylene substitute such as
carburo the fruit will lack the desired characteristics of naturally ripened fruits.
2. Temperature
3. Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide
4. Storage period
5. Ripening Temperature
6. Relative Humidity

Handling and Storage of Meat

Post Mortem Changes in Meat. The process of converting once the living muscle to meat begins
soon after the animal has been bled and the oxygen in the muscles is rapidly exhausted. In the initial
stage of bleeding, it is important that cardiac activity continues so that all blood is pumped out. This is
why the animal is stunned to unconsciousness before actually killing the animal. The traditional
practice of slitting the throat or puncturing the heart causes impartial bleeding because the heart
immediately stops pumping, leaving a lot of blood still in the blood vessels, oftentimes even in the
heart itself. Impartial bleeding is a major defect that leads to early meat spoilage.

Stages of Meat
1. Pre-Rigor Stage- The condition of the animal before slaughter, particularly stress situations
for the animal; determines the resulting meat quality. It is now standard procedure before
slaughter to avoid stress and starvation of the animals, although, just immediately before
slaughter the animals should not be given food to avoid a full gut that can be a source of
contamination if spilled on the carcass during slaughter.
2. Rigor Mortis. Immediately after the animal is killed, the muscles are soft and pliable but as
the pH falls the development of a stiff and rigid condition occurs. This is called rigor mortis
3. Post Rigor Stage- after the stiffening process, that characterizes rigor mortis, the muscles
gradually tenderize. This process is called the resolution of rigor and is characterized by the
action of enzymes on the muscle proteins, weakening the structure and promoting tenderness.

Chilling and Cold Shortening. To control post rigor changes and to promote desirable flavor
development, chilling is done.

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Meat Quality. The quality attributes of food is generally reckoned based on several parameters, but
when speaking of meat quality the most important attributes are tenderness, juiciness and color.

Meat Color. Color is an important consideration in deciding to purchase meat. Consumers associate
meat color to freshness. Consumers have a particular concept of colors for various types of meat:
Beef should be bright red, carabeef, slightly darker than beef but also bright red, pork should be pink
and poultry should have creamy yellowish skin and pinkish meat.

Myoglobin and Hemoglobin- the substance responsible for meat color is myoglobin and a lesser
extent hemoglobin. Myoglobin is the oxygen-carrying pigment in muscle while hemoglobin is its
counterpart in the blood.

Handling and Storage of Fish

Changes after Catch. Fresh fish is generally considered to be among the most perishable food, more
perishable than meat.

Fish Rigor- The most noticeable post-mortem change in fish is the stiffening of the body immediately
after harvest or catch. This is the onset of rigor which is associated with a series of reactions.
Consequently, as rigor pass, the skin and flesh lose elasticity and firmness, the eyes become cloudy
and sunken, and the gills turn a dull brown. As spoilage progresses, the fats also undergo breakdown
which results in “oxidized” and “rancid” odors and flavors. Fish technologists have noted that fatty fish
spoil faster than lean fish and fish from cold waters spoil faster than fish from warm waters.

Fish Spoilage- Regulatory specifications as well as consumer quality expectations for fishery
products in general, are primarily based on loss of quality associated with loss of freshness.

Quality Defects
1. Physical Deterioration due to loss of moisture, bruising or other physical damage
2. Changes in physical appearance of skin, eyes and gills
3. Changes in texture from firm to soft
4. Development of off flavors commonly, described as fishy, ammonia Cal or rancid
5. Discoloration usually blackening due to melanin formation, very evident in crustaceans
6. Presence of histamine, indole and other by-products of microbial growth.

Preparing Fruits and Vegetables for Processing

1. Washing
2. Peeling
3. Cutting, Size Reduction, Extraction
4. Blanching
5. Cooling
6. Other Preliminary Operations (Marination, Partial drying or Cooking)

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Self-Evaluation:
Direction: Answer the following questions briefly. (Send through via messenger group chat)

1. Explain the two (2) basic groups of fruits and vegetables.

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2. Differentiate Myoglobin from Hemoglobin.

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3. Why is it that we need to wash the fruits and vegetables prior for processing?
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REVIEW OF CONCEPTS:

Stages of Fruit Development

1. Growth
2. Maturation
3. Ripening
4. Optimum Ripeness
5. Senescence

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Storage

The following practices are done to prevent early spoilage of fruits:
1. Care to prevent cutting or bruising of the fruit during picking or handling
2. Refrigeration to minimize growth of micro-organisms and reduce enzyme activity;
3. Packaging or storage to control respiration rate and ripening
4. Use of preservatives to kill microorganisms on the fruit

2 Basic Groups of Fruits and Vegetables

1. Climacteric- fruits that are harvested mature but unripe. Examples are mango, banana,
avocado, papaya, tomato.
2. Non-Climacteric-group that does not exhibit any change in respiration pattern and do
not ripen after picking so are harvested at the stage of ripeness desired. Examples are
pineapple, citrus, strawberry, grapes and cucumber.

Control of Respiration.
1. Maturity at Picking
2. Temperature
3. Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide
4. Storage period
5. Ripening Temperature
6. Relative Humidity

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Handling and Storage of Meat

Stages of Meat
1. Pre-Rigor Stage
2. Rigor Mortis
3. Post Rigor Stage

Meat Quality. The quality attributes of food is generally reckoned based on several parameters, but
when speaking of meat quality the most important attributes are tenderness, juiciness and color.

Meat Color. Color is an important consideration in deciding to purchase meat. Consumers associate
meat color to freshness. Consumers have a particular concept of colors for various types of meat:
Beef should be bright red, carabeef, slightly darker than beef but also bright red, pork should be pink
and poultry should have creamy yellowish skin and pinkish meat.

Myoglobin and Hemoglobin- the substance responsible for meat color is myoglobin and a lesser
extent hemoglobin.

Handling and Storage of Fish

Changes after Catch. Fresh fish is generally considered to be among the most perishable food, more
perishable than meat.

Fish Rigor- The most noticeable post-mortem change in fish is the stiffening of the body immediately
after harvest or catch. This is the onset of rigor which is associated with a series of reactions.
Consequently, as rigor pass, the skin and flesh lose elasticity and firmness, the eyes become cloudy
and sunken, and the gills turn a dull brown. As spoilage progresses, the fats also undergo breakdown
which results in “oxidized” and “rancid” odors and flavors. Fish technologists have noted that fatty fish
spoil faster than lean fish and fish from cold waters spoil faster than fish from warm waters.

Fish Spoilage- Regulatory specifications as well as consumer quality expectations for fishery
products in general, are primarily based on loss of quality associated with loss of freshness.

Quality Defects
1. Physical Deterioration due to loss of moisture, bruising or other physical damage
2. Changes in physical appearance of skin, eyes and gills
3. Changes in texture from firm to soft
4. Development of off flavors commonly, described as fishy, ammonia Cal or rancid
5. Discoloration usually blackening due to melanin formation, very evident in crustaceans
6. Presence of histamine, indole and other by-products of microbial growth.

Preparing Fruits and Vegetables for Processing

1. Washing
2. Peeling
3. Cutting, Size Reduction, Extraction
4. Blanching
5. Cooling
6. Other Preliminary Operations (Marination, Partial drying or Cooking)

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Activities: Face to face interaction

- Oral Recitation
- Conducting post test

Post-Test: (Post-Test is indicated in a separate sheet)

References:
Sonido, Chavez, De Leon (2010) Practical Food Preservation and Processing, Cacho Hermanos,
Inc. Pines corner Union Sts. Mandaluyong City.

Manufacturers Manual

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