Mexicans eating habits have changed. Currently they are interested in eating properly and including fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, considering the relevant role of their nutritional characteristics.
However, this marked trend from consumers demanding healthy and quality food seems opposed to the phenomenon of the shrinkage of these natural products during the stage known as post-harvest handling. Despite the oversupply of produce, there is a great amount of waste after harvest; the rates for developing countries are estimated between 15 and 50%, according to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), and Mexico is not an exception to this fact.
The reasons for produce shrinkage may be found in the lack of appropriate use of conservation techniques during the handling of fruits and vegetables in the reception, storage, transportation, and display areas.
Some of the factors affecting the quality and shelf life of produce are: Lack of control on their ripening process on which quality, shelf life, spoilage, and business success depend; physical damage caused by poor handling of packages; poor temperature control at any stage of the cold-chain; inadequate storage disregarding product compatibility -such as ethylene sensitivity and production rate; production and absorption of aromas due to temperature and relative humidity.
Spoilage caused by poor handling of food not only worsens the hunger issue, but it also has an impact on poor quality of produce, and on their cost. In short, the waste of food that is not fit for consumption damages all of the actors in the distribution system, from the grower, through retail chains and markets, to the final consumer.
It is a proven fact that training is a tool that enables companies to adapt to new circumstances. For workers, training is an opportunity to acquire new skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will improve their competencies for successful performance in their jobs. In this regards, training the people who are responsible for handling produce is imperative to improve produce preservation and handling.
In Mexico, the educational level of the people involved in the commercialization and distribution of these products is estimated as follows: Two-thirds of the personnel have completed grade and junior-high school; one-third is youngsters between ages 16 and 24, therefore they are not specialized in produce handling and consequently, require training in order to be able to perform effectively.
ABC de Frutas y Verduras (ABCs for Fruits and Vegetables) is a comprehensive training program based on manuals from multiple associations and on specialized reference material, conceived to fill this gap sharing expertise and knowledge in this program aiming to support the wholesale and retail sectors in Mexico.
This is a self-taught program, available to the training and human resources areas, and for existing and newly recruited personnel, and it offers multiple advantages. The benefits this tool provides to the distribution system are many:
It is a permanent source of information on fruits and vegetables;
It provides a training option for recently recruited personnel;
People can be trained anywhere with internet access;
It is an incentive for the personnel, as they will receive proper accreditation after program completion;
Last, but not least, it contributes to the improvement on produce handling.
For staff members, this program represents a self-learning and self-evaluation media, where they will learn on fruits and vegetables at their own pace and rhythm; it is also a source of information on these subjects; in the end they will obtain an accreditation diploma and, most important, they have a direct participation in improving the handling process of fresh produce.
Source: ABC de Frutas y Verduras
