HANDLING OF FLORIDA-GROWN AND IMPORTED TROPICAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Abstract

The tropical fruit and vegetable industry in South Florida is thriving, with imports of mangos, papayas, and tropical vegetables becoming a major area of expansion. An increasingly aware U.S. public has created a stronger demand for both Florida-grown and imported tropical commodities whose retail quality has increased due to improved handling and transportation practices. Systems for product temperature management, washing, grading, coating, and packaging are being modified to accommodate the conditions present in South Florida, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The recent widespread approval of hot-water quarantine treatment of mangos has facilitated international trading and allowed U.S. fruit companies to maintain nearly uninterrupted supplies.