Fruit Preservation: Strategies of Fruit Vendors to Minimize Fruit Waste

Deterala, Nestle Joy G.

San Luis, Hannah Pauleen G.

Salenga, Keana Mikaela I.

Abante, Gizelle G.

Aragona, Meryll R.

Arguelles, Anne Francine R.

Mabini Colleges, Inc. Daet, Camarines Norte

Grade 12 Applied Subject Practical Research 2

Mrs. Consuelo S. Quindara

September 20, 2023

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 CHAPTER 1

The Problem

Introduction

Fruit vendors are aware of different fruit preservation strategies that will help
them reduce fruit waste. You can see some fruit vendors on the public market with their
stocks. According to an article by Anadia (2022), the Ministry of Agriculture said that it
is normal for the demand for fruit to increase during Christmas and the New Year
seasons. Some people always buy fruits, especially during Christmas and the New Year.
Due to high demand during the holiday season, the vendor's products are sold out. But
usually, vendors do not tend to sell their products. There is still a lot of fruit left over that
cannot be sold every day. The researchers wanted to know what their strategies were to
maintain original quality and prevent microbial decomposition, especially when fresh
fruit was transported to distant markets. Most harvested fruits and vegetables cannot be
stored under natural conditions to have a satisfactory shelf life due to their perishable
nature. There are conventional preservation methods, but they have the limitations of
high production costs, an unsatisfactory shelf life, and unwanted residues (Wenchao, et
al. 2019).

This study addresses the problem of fruit preservation by the fruit vendors for a
longer shelf life of the fruits and to minimize fruit waste. Fruits are one of the food
categories that are most frequently discarded. According to Food and Nutrition Sciences
(2017), supermarkets and wet market sellers both lose about 3–4% of the fruit and
vegetables they sell. The tiny quantities (between 250 and 500 grams per purchase) of
goods that consumers in both types of markets buy are partly responsible for the level of
consumer fruit and vegetable waste. The level of fruit waste was positively related to
household income and negatively related to shoppers' age. Consumers who shopped in
supermarkets purchased larger quantities of fruit when compared to those who shopped in
wet markets (Elda, 2017). The percentage of fruit waste is getting higher because of the

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improper preservation of fruits by vendors and consumers because of a lack of
knowledge, which can negatively harm the environment.

Vendors are more likely to throw some overripe fruit without knowing what
consequences this has for the environment. They also sell their product at a lower price
than the original price if it is almost overripe; this way, they will be able to sell their
product. According to Revin (2021), DOLE Sunshine Company plans to recycle about 1
million tons of fruit waste generated from its plantations in the Philippines in a newly
established joint venture. Wei Tze Ooi (2021), general manager of Dole Specialty
Ingredients (DSI), told Business World in an email interview that they are testing fruit
waste using several extraction and drying technologies. According to Mr. Ooi (2021),
each year about 1 million tons of fruit waste is generated at Dole's plantations in the
Philippines, equivalent to about 50,000 40-foot containers. These secondary fruit streams
will be used as raw materials for reuse and recycling at DSI".

The importance of this study is to know what are their strategies on how they
preserve their products during the night after their daytime selling and to prove that their
product is fresh, by this, we will be able to categorize and compare to know if they’re
doing the right way of preserving the fruit that can also lessen the fruit waste in our
country if being managed correctly. According to Global waste generation and statistic
facts published by Bruna (2023) roughly 50% of the MSW produced worldwide. Every
year, millions of tons of food, primarily fruits and vegetables, are wasted so it is
important for vendors to know what the right ways are for preserving fruits to lessen the
larging percentage of fruit waste in the world. Learning the different strategies of
preserving can make your life easier and for your products by this you can still sell it on
the market throughout the day without customers' complaints that can also make them
receive good feedback about their fruits.

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Statement of the Problem

The primary objective of this research is to determine the strategies of fruit

vendors in terms of fruit preservation to minimize fruit waste. Specifically, this research
aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. Age:
b. Sex:
c. Years as fruit vendor:
2. What are the strategies of the fruit vendors in terms of fruit preservation?
3. What informational material can be done to share the proper strategies of fruit
preservation with the fruit vendors?

Basic Assumptions

1. The profiles of the respondents vary according to their age, sex, and years as fruit
vendors.
2. There is a proper strategy among fruit vendors to minimize fruit waste in terms of
fruit preservation.
3. There is informational material that can be recommended to fruit vendors that can
be used to ensure proper fruit preservation and minimize fruit waste.

Significance of the Study

The current study will be significant to the following people.

Fruit vendors. This research will help fruit vendors gain knowledge on properly storing
fruits for a longer shelf life and minimizing food waste. This study can also help the fruit
vendors in terms of spending their money to buy a bulk of fruits from the farmers to sell
them in the public market. If the fruit vendors have knowledge about the proper

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preservation of the fruits, they will have a longer shelf life, so the capacity for fruit waste
will lessen.

Consumers. They will benefit from this study because they can gain knowledge about
proper preservation of fruits for long shelf life and minimize fruit waste. The consumers
could apply and use this information for the proper preservation of fruits in their homes
to keep them fresh for a longer time.

Future researchers. The results of this study will be useful to future researchers, as they
can use them as a guide for future research topics related to this study. They could get
relevant information that they can use as a related study, and that will also help them to
know their research gap.

Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on the strategies of fruit vendors to minimize fruit waste in
terms of fruit preservation. Fruit preservation methods extend the shelf life of fruits,
reduce food waste, and allow them to offer a wider variety of fruits year-round. The fruit
vendors may adopt these methods to meet customer demands for fresh produce
throughout the year. The target respondents of this study are the fruit vendors on the
public market.

The researchers in this study will use purposive sampling. The data that will be
gathered based on the respondents given data will be gathered through interviews. The
respondents to this study will be limited only to 15 fruit vendors in Daet, Camarines
Norte.

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Definition of Terms

The terms used in this study are conceptually and operationally defined for the
purpose of clarity for the readers.

Fruit preservation. Fruits can be kept fresh and safe for consumption for a longer period
of time through the method of preservation. In this study, the focus is on the strategies of
the fruit vendors for proper preservation of fruits.

Fruit waste. Fruit waste refers to discarded fruits that are overripe and therefore
unsellable. The researchers will address the fruit waste that is caused by improper fruit
preservation in this study.

Fruit vendor. A fruit vendor is someone who buys and sells fruits. They can frequently
be found in public markets that sell fresh produce. They offer a variety of fruits that are
usually from both local and imported farms. Fruit vendors are the focus of this study.

Notes

Anadia, S. (2022). During the holidays: DA assures ample supply of fruits and
vegetables.
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2022/10/17/2217293/during-holidays-
da-assures-ample-supply-fruits-and-vegetables?
fbclid=IwAR257Rr_ntQax1NN7L53X9eSi1QuQfTe4wIyobmmajIO-
Fm7RlKXhmCZPHw

Wenchao, L., Min, Z., & Bhesh, B. (2019). Nanotechnology- A shelf life extension
strategy for fruits and vegetables.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2019.1589415?
fbclid=IwAR0R8ILwakMRu5jlndNIT8obY7_tYq6NnfO-
nCK_YN4PcQtsh1rQ_6kG3KE&src=recsys&journalCode=bfsn20

Elda, E., Dormita, D., & Rosa, R. (2017). Purchasing patterns and consumer level waste
of fruits and vegetables in urban and peri-urban centers in the philippine.

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https://www.scirp.org/html/6-2702199_79890.htm?
fbclid=IwAR0qH9gsr5NINu__ViNAIeGp_7jUwRGwP1ASXaD6ZS9krODW6HOfm0E
5tPY

Revin, O. (2021). Dole to repurpose tons of fruit waste.

https://www.bworldonline.com/corporate/2021/11/29/413737/dole-to-repurpose-tons-of-
fruit-waste/?fbclid=IwAR3WbVlNzWvCcX99BQGgz_pwjN5NLQMNQLYcft6-
ntDsdQYLkmg64x3qS48

Bruna, A. (2023). Global waste generation- statistics and facts.

https://www.statista.com/topics/4983/waste-generation-worldwide/?fbclid=IwAR37Td-
531OrvFLfL-u0Fqom0Jv3YcrchnldGx2cH9VGnrrEgWDZjO2wIi4#topicOverview