Embrace the Summer: Pro Tips for Keeping Your Produce Fresh!

From March to July, the vibrant harvest season unfolds, bringing forth fruits and vegetables from farms to grocery stores, vendors, and food manufacturers. As this abundant produce embarks on its journey, it is vital to navigate the details of transportation and distribution. In this blog, we’ll dive into some crucial factors to consider, ensuring these delicate shipments reach their destinations in optimal conditions.??

Did You Know??

Before we get into some juicy tips to ensure your journey ends with fresh produce, let's take a peek at the top picks on everyone's shopping list straight from the Fresh Produce Association archives. Did you know that bananas and potatoes rank as the most consumed fruits and vegetables in the U.S.? Now you do!?

Let’s explore some tips to ensure the preservation of freshness while shipping produce throughout this vibrant season!?

• Plan ahead to minimize the time your produce is on the road for long: From choosing the right package, service, route, and carrier, to having all the documentation ready, planning, and optimizing processes will help you save time and money as well as preserve the quality of your produce.?
• Match the perfect package to your produce: Every fruit and vegetable has unique storage requirements to extend their freshness. For example, an apple’s transit temperature varies between 30-32° Fahrenheit, while bananas’ transit temperature oscillates between 56-58° Fahrenheit.? From temperature control to reducing ethylene sensitivity, microbial development, water loss, carbon dioxide effects, and preventing mechanical damage, choose the appropriate packaging methods that cater to your specific produce needs.?
• Team up with reliable partners for constant tracking and communication: Partner with allies who provide continuous monitoring of your shipments so you can stay informed about any fluctuations in temperature or humidity and ensure that your produce remains within the specified parameters throughout its entire journey.?
• Embrace technology to track and reduce food loss: Invest in cutting-edge technology to monitor your shipments and actively combat food loss. The Institute of Food Technologists highlights the crucial role of food, science, and technology in mitigating losses within the middle segment of the food value chain. Implement monitoring devices and adopt effective placement procedures to guarantee quality control.?

To learn more about key challenges in food and nutrition security and elevate food science and technology solutions, read this white paper published by the Institute of Food Technologists: https://www.ift.org/-/media/policy-advocacy/files/fsts_improve_food_nutrition_security.pdf?

Create a Path for a More Sustainable Future?

In today's world, prioritizing sustainability has become essential when making purchasing decisions. Numerous studies reveal that consumers are actively seeking environmentally and socially responsible actions, whether it's avoiding plastic, opting for nutritious foods, or consciously selecting clothing made from organic fabrics. Explore the potential of transforming your processes to align with sustainable goals, optimizing and conserving resources while delivering products that resonate with eco-conscious values.?

Dive deeper into consumer behaviors and tendencies that revolve around sustainability with these readings:??

Sustainability Remains a Key Driver for Consumers. https://www.thepacker.com/news/sustainability/sustainability-remains-key-driver-consumers?

Consumers Demand Sustainable Products and Shopping Formats.??https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2022/03/11/consumers-demand-sustainable-products-and-shopping-formats/?

Insightful information to keep at hand:??

Guidelines for Ensuring Good Arrival?

To have a sense of the right temperatures when shipping your produce, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) provides guidelines for determining maximum temperature allowances for fresh fruits and vegetables when inspected at destinations that are 1 to 5 days away from shipping points. These guidelines primarily apply to truck shipments. However, it is important to note that produce transported by rail with longer transit periods and international ocean shipments will also be subject to the same maximum allowances as truck shipments, unless there is established precedent or sufficient evidence that foreign markets have become accustomed to and accept a higher percentage of defects.?

Read more about this guideline here: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/PACA-GoodDeliveryGuidelines.pdf?

At GLT, we've got you covered on your journey to deliver freshness to your destination.?