GRAPE: Post-harvest Operations

Grape is one of the most diffuse fruit in the world both as fresh fruit (table grape) and processed in wine, grape juice, molassa, and raisins. The reason to have these different processed products depends on the extreme perishability of the fruit. As fresh fruit, grapes are very delicate and the loss at harvest and during the distribution is very high. In a survey on postharvest losses on the New York and Chicago markets, Cappellini and Ceponis (1984) reported that on the retail the loss of grape Emperor and Thompson Seedless was respectively of 1.4 and 3.7 millions of pounds. The situation is not changed with the years and today table grapes is one the commodity with the higher loss in the retail step of the distribution channel, losses due mainly to shattering and grey mould. If the situation is so critical in term of losses in the Developed Countries, in the Developing Countries the losses are always higher because harvest and postharvest operations to protect grapes from mechanical damage are very poor or completely absent. In Developed Countries table grape is one of the fruit with the highest input of technology (cooling, sulfuration, packing, cold storage) and practices (hand labour). In Developing Countries the cost of labour is low but the financial situation to afford the purchase of the equipments sometime is critical. Today, in the direction of market-oriented production even for poor countries, the need of knowledge of advanced technologies as well as the information about the Developed Countries requirements in term of trade quality and safety is very worthwhile.