The Dog Days of Summer – Managing the Temp – Load Compatibility – Part 3

We are now fully into the dog days of summer; temperatures seem to be staying warm around the continent, and it reminds us of how important it is to manage the temperatures of the produce we carry! Now into the 3rd week of our series on Load Compatibility (take a look at 1 and 2!), we take a look at managing in-transit temperature settings of various fruits, vegetables, and nursery products. UWC has developed a brochure, entitled Product Temperature Guidelines, to assist our partners with this topic, which is especially important when dealing with mixer loads. Below an excerpt from the brochure that groups fruits, vegetables, and nursery products by their required transit conditions:

Transit Conditions of 32-36°F
Anise, Apples, Apricots, Artichokes, Asparagus,
Bean sprouts, Beets, Belgian endive, Blackberries, Blueberries, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts
Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Corn
Daikon, Dry onions
Escarole
Flowers
Garlic, Grapes, Green onions
Kiwifruit, Kohlrabi
Leafy greens, Leeks, Lettuce
Mushrooms
Nectarines
Parsley, Parsnips, Peaches, Pears, Peas, Persimmons
Quince
Radicchio, Radishes, Raspberries, Rutabagas
Salad Mixes – Bagged, Snow peas, Spinach, Strawberries
Topped beets, Turnips

Transit Conditions of 37-41°F
Avocadoes
Cantaloupes, Clementin, Cranberries
Green beans
Honeydews
Kumquat
Mandarin
Oranges
Potatoes
Tangerines

Transit Conditions of 42-48°F
Grapefruit
Lemons, Limes
Potatoes, Peppers

Transit Conditions of 50-55°F
Chayote, Cucumber
Eggplant
Okra
Summer squash
Tomatoes
Watermelon

Transit Conditions of 55-60°F
Bananas, Bitter melon
Ginger root, Guava
Mangoes
Papayas, Pineapple, Plantain, Pumpkin
Tomatillos

Transit Conditions of 60-65°F
Nursery Product – potted plants

*Remember, all transit temperatures are subject to final approval by the owner of the product.

For more information, take a look at our Product Temperature Guidelines Brochure, available in English and Spanish. You can download the brochure off our website, or you can pick one up at our driver information board at TC Trans in Blaine, WA!!!

Question: are you enjoying the dog days of summer?? Our summer here at UWC has seen many of us take trips – things we have seen and places we have gone include: the Okanagan, Alaska, Las Vegas, Mexico, and Ecuador! Where have you been this summer?

Some Produce Just Doesn’t Mix – Load Compatibility – Part 1

Many shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables are what is known in the industry as “mixer loads,” meaning there is a variety of product in the trailer. When preparing mixer loads of varying commodities, many factors must be considered in order to ensure that the products can be safely shipped in a single trailer. Most importantly, odor absorption tendencies, temperature, relative humidity, ethylene sensitivity, and special packaging/equipment requirements top the list as things to consider when dealing with any produce load, and become even more critical on mixer loads.

Today, let’s take a look at the odor absorption tendencies. Below are the most crucial notes for odor absorption as per the industry recognized authority on the subject, the University of California – Davis. The notes below advise on what products should not be mixed in order to avoid odor absorption.

1. Odors from apples and pears are absorbed by cabbage, carrots, celery, figs, onions, and potatoes
2. Avocado odor is absorbed by pineapple.
3. Celery absorbs odor from apple, carrot, and onion.
4. Citrus absorbs odor from strongly scented fruits and vegetables.
5. Ginger odor is absorbed by eggplant.
6. Sulfur dioxide released from the pads that are used to ship table grapes will be absorbed and damage other produce.
7. Green onion odor is absorbed by fig, grape, corn, mushroom, and rhubarb.
8. Leek odor is absorbed by apple, pear, citrus, and celery.
9. Onion odor is absorbed by apple, pear, citrus, and celery.
10. Pepper odor is absorbed by avocado, pineapple, and beans.

It is important to keep these notes in mind, to avoid issues such as pineapples with odors of avocado, or apples with odors of onions!! Odor absorption is just one consideration that must be taken into account for the successful shipping of fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay tuned for more on this series!


Have something to add, or valued experience with shipping mixer loads?? Please share!

References:

http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/produce_information. Accessed on Aug 11, 2011.

Canadian Border - Processing of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

As of late 2010, products moving into Canada have been subject to new regulations and changes, particularly to border processing of fresh fruit and vegetables. Here is a review of the changes:

1. Release requests presented in paper form must have a Confirmation of Sale (COS) presented, which is the importer's evidence that there is a firm purchase agreement. The form is reviewed by a Customs officer at the product's point of entry, and is relayed to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The COS form presented in triplicate, completed, and signed, is required at the time of entry. Importers must maintain the COS in their records and be prepared to present it upon request of the CFIA.


2. The license number of the importer under the CFIA Licensing and Arbitration Regulations or the importer's member number through the Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) must be included in the data elements that are submitted to the CFIA through EDI, or if EDI is not used, on the paper documents that are submitted at time of release. Hence, either of these numbers now needs to appear on the COS.


3. Non-resident importers are not allowed to obtain a CFIA license number, but may obtain a DRC membership and number.

To date, the number of issues regarding the lack of CFIA license or DRC member numbers appearing on the COS or in the electronic system has declined due to combined forces working to get appropriate memberships, and these following membership numbers into the system.

UWC will continue to monitor this new regulation and work to make sure the appropriate numbers are on COS's as to reduce border delays and any issues that may arise.

If you have any further questions regarding this topic, please visit the CFIA website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/frefra/cdnreqe.shtml.