Elizabeth Mitcham, Ph.D., is a name synonymous with postharvest research. As director emeritus of the Postharvest Technology Center and professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, she’s seen the evolution of postharvest solutions.
In this episode of “Tip of the Iceberg,” sponsored by AgroFresh, Mitcham talks about the innovations in postharvest technology, the challenges to delivering fresh fruits and vegetables and the future of postharvest research.
“I think the biggest challenge is delivering good-tasting, quality produce that still has a good shelf life,” she said.
Mitcham notes that many factors can affect both shelf life and the quality. Those include inconsistent weather, varieties with different characteristics and produce handling.
In her career, Mitcham says she’s seen a shift from expanding the storage life and postharvest life of produce to more of a focus on flavor.
“Consumers want a product that has good flavor. They also want something that is nutritious,” she said. “Flavor has become really important, and the research community has shifted as well.”
Mitcham says in response to the high expectations of consumers and a focus on flavors, more research projects look at breeding for flavor and how low temperatures affect flavor.
“People are starting to look at how can we extend the flavor life of these products so that we can deliver good flavor-quality to consumers,” she said.
Mitcham says the produce industry will continue to see challenges in postharvest handling of produce with the elimination of plastic packaging.
“Plastic plays such a key role in postharvest handling,” she said. “There’s the safety element of protecting it from contamination when it’s packaged. Plastics inhibit water loss, and they keep the humidity around the product high. They help reduce the loss of water from harvest until it gets consumed. There’s the modified packaging we like to use. I don’t know of any way of doing that without plastic.”
As for the future of postharvest research, Mitcham says she hopes for more research into postharvest handling of tropical produce to help extend its shelf life.
“These products are chilling-sensitive because they are from tropical origins,” she said. “Things like mangoes or papayas have a short shelf life to start with, but it’s shortened because they can’t be stored at really low temperatures.”
To view the full episode, click on the video player above.
