Minimization of Post-Harvest Losses Course

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the concepts of food losses and control.
• Understand the importance of attentive harvest, packing, storage and transportation to providing quality product.
• Understand how food management practices affect post-harvest condition.
• Understand how food safety practices begin in the field and carry through harvest & post-harvest handling.
• Reduce losses (both physical and in market value) between harvest and consumption.
• Protect food safety and learn appropriate handling technology for a given produce taking into consideration the available technology of the locality or country.

CONTENT

Basic concepts

• Food waste
• Food loss
• Food waste and loss
• Food quality toss or waste
• Physical loss
• Economic loss

Causes of post-harvest losses

• Primary Causes
• Secondary Causes

Methods of post-harvest loss and waste minimization

• Drying techniques
• Packaging and protective storage
• Refrigeration and cooling
• Use of chemicals
• Biological controls
• Canning
• Irradiation
• Freezing
• Pasteurization
• Sterile filtration

Field trip

Implications of reducing food loss and waste

• Food availability
• Food safety and security and livelihoods
• Food prices

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.