Perishable Food Products: A Case Study

Table 1: Shelf Life of Selected Perishable Food Products
Product Shelf Life (days) Optimum Temperature (Celsius)
Apples 90-240 0
Bananas 7-28 13.5
Bell Peppers 21-35 7
Cabbage 14-20 1
Eggs 180 1.1
Onions 30-180 1
Lettuce 12-14 0.6
Fresh Meat (beef, lamb, pork, poultry) 14-65 -2
Oranges 21-90 7
Pears 120-180 -0.6
Potatoes 30-50 10
Seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab) 120-360 -17.8
Strawberries 5-10 0.6
Tomatoes 7-14 12
Source: APL, cited in Rodrigue, 2014, p. 8 - 9 Fruits and vegetables undergo organic reactions by absorption of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide, ethylene and moisture. These chemical reactions take place during the ripening phase of fruits and vegetables. They can cause changes in color, taste and texture of the fresh goods. The release of ethylene gas speeds up the

Storage above the prescribed optimum temperature can deteriorate the quality and shelf life of the fresh products. On the other hand, storage below the optimum temperature can hinder the ripening process and can cause discoloration. Because optimum temperature is necessarily compliant in handling and storing fresh produce, supermarkets and large chains allocate different sections of cold storage with specific temperature, among other prescribed storage conditions (Rodrigue, 2014, p.9). The cold chain logistics have made possible the export of fresh products in different countries, in spite of the barriers such as seasonality, availability, quality and transportation requirements. The supply chain takes into account the growing of fresh produce in different geographical locations with tropical climate. Under the tropical climate, crops can grow all year round. Moreover, the use of greenhouse enables the growing of crops under controlled environment. Different suppliers in the global setting are also recognized to resolve the issues of seasonality (Rodrigue, 2014, p.