International Produce Training is proud to introduce web based course instruction on the inspection of fresh fruit and vegetables. A full slate of lessons are available to everyone. These on-line courses are a great supplement to onsite training. Many companies have reached out to us asking for this service, and now it is here. All […]
Articles by: tyawman
Web-Based Courses Now Available
Table Grapes- Discolored Spots
This post is more of a general discussion, not just a defect specific to grapes. What would you do if you found a defect, like pictured here, that you were certain progressed into decay? In this case, these seedless grapes show numerous discolored spots. You can clearly see the discolored spots are eventually becoming decayed […]
Yellow Squash- Mosaic
Every now and then you come across an unusual defect. These images of defective summer squash were sent to me asking for my opinion. Even after all of the years I’ve been around produce, this one defect I’ve never seen before. So what do you do? My first suggestion would be to reference the […]
Red Leaf Lettuce- Light color
A good question was sent to me regarding a lot of red leaf lettuce that arrived at their doors. Is there a minimum “red” color requirement for red leaf lettuce? As you can see the red color is not very prominent, only extending an inch or two from the margins. My first reaction would be […]
Strawberries- Hollow Center
I have recently received a few questions regarding the presence of hollow cores, or centers of strawberries. This defect is caused by rapid growth, due to fertilizer or heavy rains combined with heat, causing the strawberry to grow faster on the outside than the inside. This condition is found in other fruits and vegetables, most […]
Job Openings- SUPERVALU
As one of the largest grocery wholesalers and retailers in the United States, SUPERVALU is dedicated to feeding communities by providing innovative, customer-centric solutions. They deliver on that promise every day through a strong network of 30,000 talented employees who supply the best national brands and our own high-quality and affordable private label products to […]
Honeydews- Foreign Material
When receiving Honeydews (or any other product) that show some odd residue on the surface it will definitely get your attention. Your first question will always be, “What the heck is this stuff? Insecticide, fungicide, dried detergent from a wash?” As curious as you may be, the only person who can definitively state what the […]
Plums- Hollow Cavities
I am sure you have seen hollow heart in watermelons and potatoes. My guess is hollow cavities found in plums is caused by the same growing condition, a sudden growth spurt brought on by heavy rains, heat or excessive fertilizer. This causes the fruit to grow rapidly, faster than the internal flesh, resulting in hollow […]
Pears- Scald
A rail car of Bartlett pears was recently inspected and the pears were found to be in the firm ripe to ripe stage of firmness, with greenish yellow to yellow color. But the major defect found was a high percentage of scald. The USDA Inspection states the following: “It first appears as a brown to black […]
Apples- Red Flesh
You have read numerous posts on this site stating that many unclassified defects should be simply described, as to their color, the size and if there is depth associated with the defect. But occasionally questions surface as to whether an anomaly found is a defect or not. Upon cutting apples you may encounter some with having a red […]