Leafy vegetables are very highly perishable and must be utilized immediately after harvest. Their fast deterioration is attributed to various biological and environmental factors with temperature playing a central role. Evaporative cooling is a low-cost temporary storage technology that offers smallholder vegetable farmers an alternative to expensive cold rooms. The present study sought to determine the effectiveness of evaporative cooling using zero energy brick cooler (ZEBC) and evaporative charcoal cooler (ECC), to preserve the postharvest quality of leafy amaranth vegetables. Freshly harvested vegetables were separated into bundles weighing 300 grams and stored under ZEBC, ECC, and ambient room conditions (control). Real time changes in temperature and relative humidity (RH) as well as changes in quality attributes (physiological weight loss (PWL), wilting index, hue angle, and vitamin C) were determined during the storage period. The temperature difference between the ZEBC and ECC versus the ambient air ranged between 4 and 10°C. Significantly higher RH (80–100%) was recorded in both evaporative cooling chambers. At the end of storage, higher PWL (47.6%) was recorded at ambient room conditions compared to 10.5 and 6.7% under ZEBC and ECC, respectively. A rapid decline in vitamin C (51%) was reported in vegetables stored at ambient room conditions. Overall, there was better vegetable quality preservation under ECC and ZEBC.

Postharvest losses of mango fruit in a number of developing countries in Africa and Asia have been estimated to be as high as over 50%, especially during the main harvest season. Micro, small, and medium scale food processing enterprises play an important economic role in developing economies in processing of a diversity of healthy food products as a sustainable way to reduce postharvest losses and food waste, extend shelf life of food, boost food security, and contribute to national gross domestic product. Processing of mango fruit into the diverse shelf-stable products makes the seasonal fruit conveniently available to consumers all year round. Over the years, research and food product development have contributed substantially to a number of unique and diverse processed mango products with specific qualities and nutritional attributes that are in demand by a wide array of consumers. These mango products are derived from appropriate food processing and value-addition technologies that transform fresh mango into shelf-stable products with ideal organoleptic, nutritional, and other quality attributes. Some of the common processed products from mango fruit include pulp (puree), juice concentrate, ready-to-drink juice, nectar, wine, jams, jellies, pickles, smoothies, chutney, canned slices, chips, leathers, and powder. Minimum processing of mango fruit as fresh-cut product has also gained importance among health-conscious consumers. Apart from the primary products from mango fruit, mango pulp or powder can be used to enrich or flavor secondary products such as yoghurt, ice cream, beverages, and soft drinks. Byproducts of mango processing, such as the peel and kernel, have been shown to be rich in bioactive compounds including carotenoids, polyphenols, and dietary fibers. These byproducts of mango processing can be used in food fortification and manufacture of animal feeds, thereby gaining greater value from the fruit while reducing wastage. This review focuses on the current trends in processing and value addition of mango applicable to small-scale processors in developing countries.

Various modes of edible coating application vary in their coat dispersion and film formation, hence the need to determine the most effective mode of application for cassava. Edible surface coatings have been found to be effective in preserving the quality of various food products. However, there are variations in effectiveness among the different coating solutions, hence the need for optimization of the concentrations of the gums used. This study aimed at determining the most efficient coating application method on the cassava postharvest quality. Physiologically mature cassava (variety KME 1) was harvested and divided into seven portions. The various portions were coated using 1.5% xanthan gum, 1.5% xanthan/guar gum, and 2% xanthan/guar gum by both dipping and spraying method. There was no significant difference on the colour, total cyanide, ethylene production, and total phenolic content between the two application methods. The 2% xanthan/guar gum coating showed a significant difference on the dry matter content while the 1.5% xanthan gum coating had a significant difference on the respiration rate and weight loss. The 1.5 xanthan treated roots had a final dry matter content of 72.5% for the sprayed samples and 75.98% for the dipped sample while the 2% xanthan/guar gum treated roots had a final dry matter content of 64.6% and 74.1% for the dipped and sprayed root samples, respectively. The 1.5% xanthan and 2% xanthan/guar gum treated roots showed no significant difference in their action on dry matter content. The 1.5% xanthan/guar dipped and sprayed samples differed significantly on their effect on flesh firmness with final values of 35.4N and 46.1N, respectively, at 20 days after harvest. This study suggested that based on the coating solution and the parameters being observed, there generally was no varying effect of dipping and spraying methods of coating application. The choice of the efficient mode of application to use will depend on other factors such as the easiness of application.

Poor diets are responsible for more of the global burden of disease than sex, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco combined. Without good health, food security, and nutrition, development is unsustainable. How food is grown, distributed, processed, marketed, and sold determines which foods are available, affordable, and acceptable within the local cultural context. These factors guide food choices, influencing the quality of people’s diets, and hence they play a vital part in health. The food system is complex and is neither nutrition nor health driven. Good nutrition and human health are not seen as important supply chain outcomes, diminishing between the different processes and actors in the chain. This is in contrast to the environmental and labour concerns now also perceived as supply chain issues. Although food loss and waste is now appreciated as key to sustainable food supply chains, the critical role on nutrition security remains obscure. In a free market dispensation, the trade-offs between agricultural production and income generation versus nutrient delivery from farm to fork needs to be addressed. Investment and incentivised initiatives are needed to foster diverse food production, preservation, distribution and influence consumers’ behaviour and consumption. The decisions made at any stage of the food supply chain have implications on consumer choices, dietary patterns, and nutritional outcomes. Leveraging the entire food system is an underused policy response to the growing problem of unhealthy diets.

Low consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) is in part attributed to unavailability and cost, especially among the low-income populations. High postharvest losses contribute to low availability and cost. According to the FAO report of 2011, 44% of all the FV produced are lost or wasted along the supply chain. Although there have been efforts to reduce food loss and waste (FLW) in FV, the interventions are often misguided due to lack of reliable data on critical loss points, the causes/driver of losses, extent of losses and context-appropriate interventions. This mini review sought to highlight the FLW data gaps with a focus on FV value chains. The review used the FLW database created by FAO as an online collection of literature on FLW from 1965 to 2022. Through a stepwise review of open access articles in the FAO database and other open access sources on the internet, the extent and trends of losses (median), the number of published articles, data collection methodology and the priority value chain on FLW research in different countries within the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region was explored. The mini review shows that there are about 632 openly accessible publications on FLW, including 259 on cereals and pulses,190 on fruits and vegetables, 118 on Roots, tubers and oil-bearing crops and 32 on meat and animal products. Out of the 190 articles on FV globally, 66 articles focused on SSA on mango, banana and tomato. Most of the studies have focused on Asia and Africa with very few studies on FLW status in North America and Europe. Within SSA, Ghana and Kenya alone contributed 47% of the published articles on FV. Most of the studies focused on the farm level and the distribution stages accounting for 44% and 25% respectively of the published articles. This review highlights FLW data gaps and skewedness in the available data. Policies and interventions to reduce FLW towards the set targets such as sustainable development goal, SDG 12.3 require the FLW data gaps to be addressed. Otherwise, blind interventions that are not guided by reliable evidence will continue missing the target.