Processing Considerations
There are a number of considerations that may impact the daily operations of citrus processors and packers and should be considered if they are receiving mechanically harvested fruit. While active research and extension were ongoing in UF IFAS (i.e. mid to late 2000s) related to citrus mechanical harvesting, the following areas for consideration were evaluated:
- Amount and type of debris harvested
- Quality impacts
- Microbiological impacts
When evaluating the potential impact of additional debris harvested, the following was considered: “At the very least, unwanted debris increases waste handling costs; at the worst, debris could damage processing machinery”. To evaluate the amount and type of debris harvested, a trailer debris study addressed the amount of trash (stems, branches, twigs and leaves) being deposited into a trailer of mechanically harvested fruit. Additional work was carried out to evaluate if extra sand was present on the surface of mechanically harvested fruit that were being picked up off the ground, compared to that being harvested off a tree. Field based studies were conducted to evaluate this potential.
Learn more: Mechanical Harvesting Increases Leaf and Stem Debris in Loads of Mechanically Harvested Citrus Fruit
The potential for quality impacts to fruit, and subsequently juice, were of particular interest when the abscission agent being evaluated (i.e. mid to late 2000s), and when daily trailer allocations resulting from high harvest volumes could result in fruit sitting in trailers for extended periods of time prior to processing. Field and packinghouse-based experiments were established to evaluate the impact of abscission agents and extended storage on fruit integrity and microbiological quality/spoilage.
The potential for microbiological impacts, including those related to foodborne pathogens, especially for fruit picked off the ground, potential for damaged fruit and internalized microorganisms, changes in microbiological quality and spoilage indicators were also identified as potential impediments to the adoption of mechanical harvesting. Investigations into whether mechanically harvesting with a ground fruit machine increases bacteria on the peel and in the juice, using different systems and with and without abscission were performed.
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