postharvest
After the harvest
Postharvest describes the period or processes occurring after crops are gathered: postharvest handling, postharvest losses, postharvest technology.
The term appears mainly in agricultural science and food industry contexts, covering storage, processing, transportation, and quality control between harvest and consumption.
Postharvest treatments can extend shelf life significantly.
Moisture removal process
- curingRestoring health or preserving
- cleaningRemoving dirt and mess
- gradingAssigning marks to work
- sortingArranging into sequence
packing · waxing · cooling · freezing · canning · fermenting · pasteurizing · blanching
Heat removal for preservation
- silosFarm storage towers
- warehouseBulk goods storage building
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- ventilationCirculation of fresh air
hermetic · preservation · bin · pallet · insulation · perishables · ripening · temperature
drying
Moisture removal process
sorting · packing · waxing · cooling · freezing · canning · fermenting · pasteurizing · blanching · peeling
refrigeration
Heat removal for preservation
ventilation · hermetic · preservation · bin · pallet · insulation · perishables · ripening · temperature · ethylene
logistics
Coordination of complex activities
- transportMoving things between places
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- freightGoods being transported
export · import · delivery · containers · pallets · haulage · tracking · traceability
spoilage
Food degradation process
mold · pests · rodents · bruising · contamination · pathogen · deterioration · rejection · damage
postharvestpreharvest
Before crop collection
growing season · planting · planting season · sowing · growing
gather, harvest, harvesting, harvester, harvested, posthaste, harvestable, unharvested, posthole