Postharvest treatments are mentioned. These treatments must meet the regulations of the importing country. Treatments are required based on the type of product, source of the product, type of insect or disease, and port of entry. Many products can be cooled by more than one method. Table 10 at the end of this section summarizes the recommended temperature, relative humidity, and approximate transit and storage period for the fruits and vegetables covered in this handbook.
Information also is given for other fruits and vegetables.
The sensitivity of the product to chilling injury, freezing injury, moisture loss, ethylene damage, odors, bruising, or decay is highlighted. Many tropical fruits and vegetables are highly perishable. Many tropical fruits and vegetables are held at room temperature at the retail store and in the consumers home for ripening. Bananas are ripened before retail display as are some avocados, kiwifruit, and tomatoes. Common package sizes used are listed with approximate weights.