| Breadfruit:
Postharvest Guidelines
Chief Producers
Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent.
Season
Varies between years, generally two crops: April to June, October
to January.
Quality Criteria
Market requirements state that breadfruit on arrival at the importer
should be physiologically mature, firm, uniform shape, free from
decay, sunscald, cracks, bruises, insect and mechanical damage and
conform to the weight and size specifications.
Variety
Whiteheart
Post-Harvest Handling
Harvest Maturity
All breadfruit should be exported by air and be harvested in the
physiologically mature, hard, green condition. Harvest maturity
can be judged by the color, the shape of the segments and the presence
of surface latex exudation . Fully mature fruits show a dark green
skin color, a light browning and a lack of luster, when compared
to less mature fruits. In addition, the segments on the surface
of the fully mature fruits are more rounded and smoother than less
mature fruits, in which they tend to be angular and ridged. Full
maturity is also indicated by the presence of latex stains on the
surface of the fruit. Over-mature fruit are indicated by a slight
yellowing of the skin, together with a yellowing of the stem. Breadfruits
showing these characteristics should not be used for export.
 Breadfruit
Harvesting
Harvesting should be carried out on the day of shipment, or on
the previous day, if cool storage and adequate supervision of grading
and packing are available. Harvesting should be carried out in the
early part of the day, to avoid buildup of field heat. Due to the
nature of the breadfruit tree, harvesting invariably involves climbing
the tree. When harvesting, the fruit should be snapped from the
tree (at the point adjacent to the branch and not the fruit). The
long stems of the fruit harvested in this way, should be removed
with a sharp knife to leave the stem flush with the level of the
fruit shoulders or slightly protruding (up to 1.5 cm). Harvesting
implements may be used. The most suitable involves a pruning pole,
where the fruit is cut, allowed to fall and caught by hand or in
a net, before hitting the ground. Breadfruit should never be knocked
from the tree, dropped or thrown directly to the ground, as the
resultant bruising will cause rapid softening. Trimming of the stems
should be carried out in the field immediately after harvest and
the fruit placed on the ground with the stems downwards to allow
latex drainage. Outgrading should be carried out in the field to
remove immature, undersized, damaged, bruised, scarred, ripe, or
fruits with the stems completely removed.
The fruit of any one tree are of different physiological ages
and therefore, all the fruits do not reach maturity simultaneously.
Fruit are usually harvested from individual trees on several occasions
during the season.
After harvest, latex should be allowed to drain away and the fruit
placed in fleld crates or mesh bags. Harvested breadfruit should
not be left in direct sunlight or wind, either in the field or on
transport to the packing facilities. On arrival at the packing area,
the acceptable fruit should be placed in a tank (containing 100
ppm sodium hypochlorite) for washing to remove fresh latex stains
and debris. The fruit should then be placed into fleld crates and
allowed to drain prior to packing.
Export Grading and Packing
Quality checks are required prior to packing to ensure the removal
of all fruits not meeting the export requirements, particularly
in terms of maturity and mechanical damage. Fruits should be graded
in each carton according to the size, giving a range of counts for
each shipment. Net weights should range from 12 to 16 kg (27 to
35 lbs). Each individual carton should be weighed, recorded and
the carton marked (breadfruit is generally sold on a per kilogram
basis, rather than by the carton). Minimum size specifications are
given below. Cartons should not be overfilled during packing.
Packaging
Full telescopic two-piece fiberboard carton ("banana" type) or
one-piece selflocking waxed carton (bushel type); bursting strength
275 lb/in2. Fruit dividers may be used to reduce fruit movement
and rubbing. Where staples are used, care should be taken to ensure
complete staple closure to avoid fruit damage.
Carton internal dimmensions:
- 20 x 51 x 34 cm (7.9" x 20" x 13.4")
- 29.5 by 44 by 29,5 cm (12" by 18" by 12")
Pre-Cooling
Pre-cooling of breadfruit to 12oC prior to shipment (by air) is
preferable. Harvests made the day prior to shipment should always
be placed in cold storage. Temperature controlled rooms are the
most suitable. Cooling will be slow if stacking and ventilation
are inadequate or if the cooling capacity of the system is low.
Cooling is required to a minimum of 12oC. Iced water or air systems
below 12oC should not be used as this will result in rapid browning
of the fruit surface.
Storage
Long term storage of breadfruit for sea shipment under commercial
conditions is not feasible, at the present stage of technical development,
as high levels of softening are likely to occur. Prolonged storage
of more than one day should not be used for air shipments if out-turns
are to be acceptable. At storage temperature below 12oC for even
short periods of time, breadfruit will develop chilling injury,
which will lead to a drastic reduction in quality and increase spoilage.
During storage it should be ensured that ventilation is sufficient
to prevent localised build-up fo heat and ethylene.
Shipment Conditions
Exports should only be made by air. Aircraft pallets are preferable
to containers due to the increased ventilation. Short delays and
increases in container temperatures within aircraft containers with
no ventilation will greatly increase the levels of softening.
Potential Post-Harvest Losses
Losses in breadfruit are as a result of fruit softening.
Mechanical Damage
Mechanically damaged fruit will normally deteriorate rapidly and
should not be exported. Careful handling should therefore be used
during harvesting and subsequent operations such as grading, packing
and transportation.
Low Temperature
Storage at temperatures below 12°C will result in chilling injury,
as indicated by brown scald-like discoloration of the skin, increased
water loss, increased susceptibility to decay organisms and detrimental
changes in flavor characteristics.
Pathological Factors
Fungal and bacterial infection are rare in breadfruit. They are
usually seen as secondary infections where the fruits are very ripe
and the internal structure begins to break down.
Breadfruit Specifications
Market
UK, Holland, U.S.A, and Canada.
Varieties
Whiteheart
Characteristics
Green, mature, intact stem, clean, free from blemishes and insect
damage.
Size
- Minimum weight: 1.2 kg (2.5 lbs)
- Maximum weight: 3 kg (6.5 lbs)
- Large: 2.0 to 3.0 kg (4.4 to 6.5 lbs)
- Small: 1.2 to 2.0 kg (2.5 to 4.4 lbs)
Condition
- No wounds from harvesting or handling, including punctures,
scratches or bruises
- No insect damage
- Stem green and intact
- No yellowing of the peel or stem
Market Requirements
UK: Large fruits preferred
Holland: Small fruits preferred
Canada: Small fruits preferred
Handling in Importing Country
Breadfruit are highly perishable and as such, should be marketed
as rapidly as possible. Optimum storage temperatures of 12o to 14oC
are essential for maximizing the marketing period and ensuring fruit
quality, as lower temperatures will result in browning and higher
temperatures will cause softening. Storage in enclosed areas or
with other ethylene producing fruits and vegetables should be avoided.
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