The waste of fresh fruits in the post-harvest chain contributes significantly to food insecurity. According to our data, a large amount of fresh fruit (25% to 40–50%, depending on the fruit type) does not reach the consumers’ table due to factors like (mainly) mechanical damage during transportation, inappropriate packaging materials, poor storage conditions and displaying practices, poor hygiene, and failure to sell. Based on our background studies, we are engaged in developing: i) good practices and modules for formal training of retailers (by keeping in mind that, being predominantly females, most of the fruit vendors are unschooled or below secondary level; ii) checklist for implementing primordial and primary prevention in popular markets; and iii) nutrition education modules for the schools so as to encourage the daily consumption of fresh fruit. In our view, policies and public investments should strengthen market infrastructure, including clean water supply, toilets, sewage disposal systems, municipal waste management, and urban planning.
In our work, we highlight how the fresh fruit supply chain exemplifies the impact that poor hygiene can have on such crucial aspect in public health like food safety (ingestion of hazardous microorganisms and toxins), food security (waste of fruit), nutrition security (loss of nutritional value of fruit), food culture (loss of possible consumers due to bad taste), and socioeconomic damage (failure to sell and economical loss).
2024. Kane F, Kimassoum D, Frazzoli C. Post-Harvest Losses of fresh fruits in the markets of Thiaroye, Pikine, and Sandiniéry, Senegal: Challenges and Implications for Food Security. Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences, 12:5.
2024. Kimassoum D, M Solange, K Barnabas, A Tidjani, C Frazzoli. Fruit preservation at the Dembé market, N’Djamena, Chad: steps towards good hygiene practices. HSOA Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, DOI:10.24966/FSN-1076/100190
2021. Kamda Silapeux AG, Ponka R, Frazzoli C, Fokou E. Waste of fresh fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: challenges for retailers and impacts on consumer health. Agriculture, 11(2), 89.