HANDLING AND TRANSIT CONDITIONS OF WHITE ASPARAGUS SHIPPED BY REFRIGERATED TRUCKS FROM GREECE TO GERMANY

White asparagus spears (Asparagus officinalis L.) were shipped, during the spring of 1992, from Galatades (Central Macedonia), Greece to Munich, Germany using four refrigerated trucks; handling and transit conditions (temperature and relative humidity) were monitored.
Of the total transit period from the harvest to the retail store in Munich, which was 174 hrs, most of the time was spent for the handling-packing operations (61.3 hrs), and transportation (38.9 hrs). However, the produce stayed at the wholesale market a considerable period of the time (37.3 hrs) until its distribution to the retail stores.
The average spear temperature during handling by the grower was 16 °C, while after precooling it was 1–2 °C. Transit temperature inside the loads ranged, in all tracks, between 3.1 and 8.8 °C; significant deviation of the temperature was found in three positions inside each truck.
The relative humidity during transportation was near the saturation point.
Considerable accumulation of carbon dioxide, as well as oxygen depletion, were found in the atmosphere surrounding the produce during the transportation period.

International Symposium on Quality of Fruit and Vegetables: Influence of Pre- and Post- Harvest Factors and Technology

A.S. Siomos, E. Sfakiotakis, C. Dogras, C. Vlachonasios

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.379.63