Download - Critical success factors in transporting mango fruit - Presentation from the Darwin Mango Field Day
Critical success factors in transporting mango fruit
Peter Hofman, Scott Ledger
Critical considerations Quality attributes at risk • Over-ripe / under-ripe fruit • Variable ripening between and within pallets • Poor skin colour • Chilling damage • Skin marks
Key issues • Temperature of fruit at loading • Pallet configuration in the container • Refrigeration capacity/air circulation/insulation • Gas accumulation (mainly carbon dioxide)
Quality risks; too ripe, uneven ripe, chilling
• Pre-cooling room temperature too high (>12ºC) • Pre-cooling time too short • Forced-air cooler not used or loaded incorrectly • Cool room not functioning properly
High fruit temperatures at loading
Loading warm fruit causes uneven ripening
Truck temperature 13ºC Average fruit temperature at loading 21ºC
Loading warm fruit causes chilling injury
Delivery air 6ºC below set point
Set point 13ºC
Chilling injury
Poor pre-cooling and container loading/performance Temperature setting too low - <10°C •Poor container loading •Poor container insulation (tautliners) •Fruit exposed on top of pallets near delivery air •Faulty equipment operation
Set temperature 18°C; fruit temperature at loading 19°C
Xsense tag 3 pallet layers down, 2nd row from front
Date and time
24/11 25/11 26/11 27/11 28/11 29/11
Tem
pera
ture
(o C)
15
20
25
30
35
40
2nd row from front (Xsense)2nd row from backLoaded
Unloaded
Poor cooling performance
Quality risk; too ripe, uneven ripe
• Fruit temperature too high at loading • Faulty refrigeration • Poor insulation, e.g. tautliners • Poor pallet loading • Air flow obstructed
Poor cooling performance
Good, even airflow is critical
✓
From Ledger 2012
Good, even airflow is critical
Under these conditions, the fruit on the outside of the pallet cooling down significantly more quickly than those in the middle. Temperature probe ring only the fruit on the outside of the pallet will often give a false indication
Refrigeration unit
Roof shoot
Ply sheet restricting both cold air delivery to front pallets, and return
of warm air to return vent
Cold delivery air vent
Warmer return air vent
Warmer return air through pallet
boards and/or floor vents
Restricted cold air to
front pallets
Cold air short-circuiting directly
to the return vent
Pallets
Transport do’s and don’ts
Pallet placed tight against bulkhead
✓
Gap left between bulkhead and 1st row of pallets – air short circuits
Transport do’s and don’ts
Stabilizing boards crossed to avoid blocking air flow under pallets
✓
Stabilizing boards and pads block air flow under pallets
• Carbon dioxide and other volatiles • High fruit temperatures causing high respiration • Poor ventilation
Gas accumulation
Risks; Skin spotting, poor colour, off flavours, WHS
Date (Nov 2012)
14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th
Car
bon
diox
ide
(%)
0
5
10
15
20
25
Loaded intocontainer
Removed fromcontainer
Temperature and carbon dioxide
Fruit temp. on arrival
24oC
17oC
• Loose packing and over-packing • Hard inserts • Incorrect stacking, pallet strapping • Pallets not secured effectively in vehicle • Rough roads and driving too fast
Quality risk; Transport rub, pallet collapse
Packing and roads/driving
Critical success factors • Fruit temperatures before loading
– Cool to within 2oC of transport temperature
• Correct pallet configuration – No gaps between first pallet and bulkhead, or – Ply from top of first pallet to bulkhead
• Don’t block return air flow – Use angled or fluted ply sheets
• Adequate refrigeration and insulation – Don’t use tautliners on long journeys
• Tight pack, soft inserts - drive to road conditions • Minimise carbon dioxide hazards
– Low fruit temperatures – Venting – Lime