Fresh Notes: Packhouse Action Group (PAG) Meeting Summary
Held on 28 February 2019
Load-shedding and Load Out Temperatures
The PAG load-shedding workgroup (Henk Griessel, Bernard Henning, Jaco Moelich, Johan Strydom) met to discuss the impact of load-shedding on apples and winter pears. Due to uncertainty in schedules and power cuts, urgent proactive measures are needed to prevent operational disruptions affecting fruit quality.
- Dispensation from PPECB:
- Apples: Maximum load out temperature tolerance of +3.0°C
- Winter pears: +2.0°C
- Applies only during power cuts and must be verified with the local PPECB inspector.
- Not applicable to summer pears due to quality risks.
Recommended Actions for Cold Stores During Load Shedding
- Keep cold store doors closed as much as possible.
- Ensure door curtains are in good condition to restrict air exchange.
- Use generators to reduce dependency on ESCOM power.
- Ensure computer systems recording cold sterilisation temperatures have UPS support.
- Consider omitting plastic bags for cultivars where not essential.
- Use load shed times for non-temperature-related actions (e.g., loading pallets/bins where fruit is already cooled).
- Pre-cool rooms before storing new fruit to avoid circulating warm air over cold fruit.
- Ensure forklift batteries are fully charged when power is available.
- When power returns and room temperature is above fruit temperature, avoid forced air cooling until the room cools down.
- Use the increased load out temperature dispensations for apples (+3.0°C) and winter pears (+2.0°C) if necessary.
Best Operating Practices for Loading Apples or Pears at Higher Temperatures
IMPORTANT: Loading pome fruit above -0.5°C is NOT RECOMMENDED!
Use higher load out temperature dispensation only during load shedding and build-up of partially cooled fruit.
- Load the warmest fruit first (better cooling at the refrigeration end of the container).
- Avoid packing apples in plastic bags if possible.
- Insert temperature recorders (e.g., TempTales, or preferably real-time recorders like MOST or Sensitech Geo).
- Use void plugs or other material to cover the open floor area at the door-end to improve airflow.
- Use gensets for the trip to port if travel time exceeds 2 hours.
- Avoid hot daytime trips to the port.
- Use all available stack days in the terminal; the sooner the fruit is under cooling, the better.
- Book containers at a lower set point (-1.0°C, except for special temperature-sensitive apple cultivars).
- Get quality feedback from overseas discharge.
Insurance Requirements for Packhouses
Contact: Koos Bouwer
- Each packhouse has unique circumstances and fire protection levels; no “one solution fits all.”
- Insurance is scarce and expensive due to recent fire losses.
- PAG has met with brokers and insurers; some uncertainties about fire protection standards have been resolved.
- Each packhouse must conform to certain standards to obtain fire insurance in the future.
- Recommendation: Conduct a fire assessment and draft an implementation plan for shortcomings. Use this plan to negotiate interim solutions with the insurance broker during the phase-in period.
Moratorium on High-Cube Containers
Contact: Andy Connell
Feedback to date:
- No minutes available from both task team meetings.
- Terms of Reference reviewed and agreed upon; copy provided to Department of Transport, but no official document circulated.
- No clear indication or transparency on acquiring a service provider for research.
- No clear official timeline set for task team workgroup activities.
Industry is not confident that the research will be concluded by the June deadline set by the Minister.
Revised Steri Market Protocols for Newer Cultivars
Contact: Henk Griessel
- One trial conducted on Cripps’ Red at a shipping temperature of 1°C; two further trials planned.
Nigeria:
- Shipping permits to Nigeria are being reviewed.
- Normal permits do not require cold steri requirements.
- Exporters should ask importers to supply normal permits.
Plastics
Contact: Bryce McIntyre
- Retailers have their own deadlines for removing single-use plastic.
- A work group across fruit kinds will coordinate new packaging development and communicate changes to industry.
Alternatives & Requirements:
- Polypropylene trays → pulp or paper board trays.
- Plastic bags → corn starch bags (MK 6) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags.
- Bag manufacturers must identify bag components to indicate recyclability.
- New bag types should be printable for enhanced traceability.
Packhouse and Quality Benchmarking
Contact: Dawid Malan
Packhouse Benchmarking Status
- Q4 of 2018 completed.
- 11 packhouses participating, including 20 packing lines.
Packhouse Quality Benchmarking Status
- Pilot group: 4 packhouses participating.
- Agreed list of defects for Golden Delicious.
- 2018 data on Golden Delicious will be tested on the model.
- Identified/agreed apple varieties: Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, and Red Delicious clones (Top Red, Starking, etc.).
- Identified/agreed pear varieties: Packham’s Triumph, Forelle, Abate Fetel.
- Each packhouse will identify the 10 most important defects per variety.
- Data of the 10 defects will be sent to Productivity SA to compile the final list per variety.
PAG Disciplines and Coordinators
Please contact the relevant person if you have any queries regarding the PAG.
- Chairman: Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za)
- Engineering: Henk Ryke (henk@tad.co.za), Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za)
- Packaging: Dr Malcolm Dodd (malcolm@alaceraer.co.za), Bryce MacIntyre (bryce.macintyre@kaapagri.co.za)
- Environmental Footprint: Eddie Vienings (eddie@bluenorth.co.za), Hugh Campbell (hugh@hortgro.co.za)
- Packhouse Large: Dawid Malan (dawid@tad.co.za), Francois Malan (francois.malan@cfg.co.za), Willem Coetzee (willem@dutoit.com)
- Packhouse Small: Hendrik Claassen (hendrik@bellafrutta.co.za), Vacancy
- Post-Harvest Quality: Dr Elke Crouch (elke@sun.ac.za), Henk Griessel (henkg@tru-cape.co.za), Jaco Moelich (jaco.moelich@fruitways.co.za)
- Logistics: Johan Strydom (pslog@mweb.co.za), Andy Connell (andy@abarc.co.za)
- Communication Strategy: Richard Hurndall (hurndallr@gmail.com), Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za), Elise-Marie Steenkamp (elise-marie@hortgro.co.za)
- PPECB: Bernardus Henning (bernardush@ppecb.com)
- FPEF: Werner van Rooyen (werner@fpef.co.za)
- DAFF:
- Director: Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Billy Makhafola (BillyM@daff.gov.za)
- Regional Manager: NPPPIS WC Directorate: Inspection Services, Gcobani Tsako (GcobaniT@daff.gov.za)
- Hortgro: Jacques du Preez (jacques@hortgro.co.za), Lindi Benic (lindi@hortgro.co.za)