The dry chain: Reducing postharvest losses and improving food safety in humid climates

Publication date: Available online 10 November 2017 Source:Trends in Food Science & Technology Author(s): Kent J. Bradford, Peetambar Dahal, Johan Van Asbrouck, Keshavulu Kunusoth, Pedro Bello, James Thompson, Felicia Wu Background Even as increasing populations put pressure on food supplies, about one-third of the total food produced for human consumption is wasted, with the majority of loss in developing countries occurring between harvest and the consumer. Controlling product dryness is the most critical factor for maintaining quality in stored non-perishable foods. The high relative humidity prevalent in humid climates elevates the moisture content of dried commodities stored in porous woven bags, enabling fungal and insect infestations. Mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin) produced by fungi in insufficiently dried food commodities affect 4.5 billion people worldwide. Scope and approach We introduce the term “dry chain” to describe initial dehydration of durable commodities to levels preventing fungal growth followed by storage in moisture-proof containers. This is analogous to the “cold chain” in which continuous refrigeration is used to preserve quality in the fresh produce industry. However, in the case of the dry chain, no further equipment or energy input is required to maintain product quality after initial drying as long as the integrity of the storage container is preserved. In some locations/seasons, only packaging is required to implement a “...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research