Classification Criteria for <i>Cavendish</i> Bananas and a Framework to Indicate the Correct Destination

Abstract

The quality guarantee is essential in food supply chains due to the risks involved in the consumption of a spoiled item. At the same time, it ensures the nutritional characteristics of the food. For fruits and vegetables, these requirements need to be even higher since most of them are consumed in raw form. This article aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Brazilian Program for the Modernization of Horticulture and Integrated Fruit Production (PBMH and PIF) regarding Cavendish bananas classification and propose a method to correct the destination of the fruit considering it. The study was performed in the Alto Tiête area, São Paulo state, Brazil in 12 supermarkets. Our results indicated that 239 bananas from the sample only 38% should be sold to the consumers and 62% should be processed by the industry. Although we did not find spoiled bananas, the consumers were buying fruits improperly to direct consumption increases the chances of health risks and food waste.

Keywords

• food supply chain
• perishability
• quality control