Fresh Produce Post Harvest Quality Management

This course explores the postharvest chain for fresh produce, introducing you to the issues surrounding the maintenance of this area’s food supply chain quality.

Through three days of campus workshops at the University of Reading, participants will be introduced to the science behind producers’ everyday challenges, including temperature, atmosphere, and contamination risks.

You will also explore concepts such as the influence of agronomy, the different biological factors stemming from other crop species, and the biotic and abiotic quality problems faced by fresh crops. Finally, you will explore the processes and controls implemented to mitigate or eliminate these dangers to food quality after harvesting with all these issues in mind.

After completing the course, you will have a robust understanding of the science behind the challenges, solutions, problems in maintaining quality for fresh produce and a detailed appreciation for different technological solutions. As a result, you will be able to identify risk areas in a supply chain, select appropriate solutions to those risks, and develop solutions when the supply chain breaks down. This course has a broad range of applicability for anyone working with fresh produce, including growers, food processors, and retailers looking to improve their knowledge about maintaining postharvest food quality.

By completing this course, participants will gain:
• An appreciation of where the quality of fresh produce is at risk in a supply chain
• An understanding of the influence of agronomy on postharvest quality
• Knowledge of the biological basis of factors determining fresh produce quality and how to manipulate them in different crop species
• The ability to identify and control biotic and abiotic quality problems in fresh produce crops
• An understanding of the sources of microbiological, pest and disease contamination on fresh produce and how these can be contained
• The ability to select appropriate technologies for extending shelf life and reducing biological degradation of the crop

Course Provider: University of Reading
Course Date: This course commences each April
Course Delivery: 3 days Campus Workshops
Course Fee: £1500.00