Post-Harvest and Food Safety Systems

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Information systems are concerned with data capture, storage, analysis and retrieval. In the context of food safety management, they are vital to assist decision making in a short time frame, potentially allowing decisions to be made and practices to be actioned in real time. (Mcmeekin, et al., 2006)

The Food & Beverage (F&B) industry—with its complex global supply chains and multiple sectors and sub-sectors—is particularly vulnerable and, within this evolving landscape, effective, holistic information management is critical to holding and sharpening a competitive edge (Open Text, n.d.)

In considering the agro-food chain system as a whole, harvesting may be considered as the hinge bridge between the pre-harvest slope, corresponding to production activity and the post-harvest slope, extending from harvesting to consumption (Grolleaud, 2001).

In his book, the Hidden Harvest, Spurgeon considered that “The post-harvest system should be thought of as encompassing the delivery of a crop from the time and place of harvest to the time and place of consumption, with minimum loss, maximum efficiency and maximum return for all involved” (Spurgeon, 1976)

The post-harvest system encompasses a sequence of activities and operations that can be divided into two groups:
a.    technical activities that involves harvesting, field drying, threshing, cleaning, additional drying, storage, processing; and
  1. economic activities relating to transporting, marketing, quality control, nutrition, extension, information and communication, administration and management. (Grolleaud, 2001)
There are many uses of information systems that benefit food safety more globally, including: Rapid dissemination of information on foodborne disease outbreaks via websites or list servers carrying commentary from many sources, including the press and interest groups, on the reasons for and consequences of foodborne disease incidents as well as active surveillance networks allowing rapid dissemination of molecular subtyping information between public health agencies to detect foodborne outbreaks (McMeekin, et al., 2006).

“The FDA of the United States of America has proposed in its guidelines for industry a definition for process validation that is “the collection and evaluation of data, from the process design stage throughout production, which establishes scientific evidence that a process is capable of consistently delivering quality products.” (Restivo, 2007). An integrated modular automation and information systems, when designed and configured properly will address product quality, compliance, productivity, information accuracy, process repeatability, human error, human safety, product traceability, downtime, operational efficiency, and more. (Restivo, 2007)

The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and readers is revolutionising the way supply chain data is captured and communicated in developed economies. In addition to the increased benefits perceived by the drivers, it facilitates the link between the various parties touching the supply chain that traditionally viewed their role as neither relevant nor applicable to traditional supply chain practices (Mcmeekin, et al., 2006)

A good implementation of Information Systems brings about cost reduction and the complexities of access to unstructured information and improves operational efficiencies.


References

Grolleaud, M., 2001. Overview of the Phenomenon of Losses During the Post-harvest System. Rome: FAO.
Mcmeekin, T. et al., 2006. Information systems in food safety management. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 112(3), p. 181–194.
McMeekin, T. et al., 2006. Information systems in food safety management., s.l.: International Jounal of Food Microbilogy.
Open Text, n.d. Opentext.com, s.l.: Open Text.
Restivo, G., 2007. Food Quality and Safety. [Online]
Available at: https://www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/reducing-risks-automation-information-systems/
[Accessed 15 June 2018].
Spurgeon, D., 1976. Hidden Harvest : a Systems Approach to Postharvest Technology. Ottawa: IDRC.


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