UC Davis hosts annual workshop Sept. 18-20

The “Fresh-Cut Products: Maintaining Quality & Safety” workshop hosted by the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center might be considered required attending for anyone who wants a big picture snapshot of the fresh-cut industry.

Now being held for the 17th year in a row, the workshop is a mix of overview and what’s new, said Marita Cantwell, U-C Davis Department of Plant Sciences faculty member.

“We have speakers from academia and from industry,” Cantwell said. “And its strength is that mix of academic resources, industry and real-world applications.”

Approximately 20 presenters will lead sessions on topics that range from modified atmospheres and packaging to product quality, temperature management and sanitation.

“The content has evolved,” Cantwell said. “Microbial food safety has always been at the forefront. Quality and shelf life have always been an issue.

“In the early years, there were still a lot of divisions on the equipment and processes – I think that has become more standard now. And in recent years, the focus has been more on sensory quality of products.”

Current challenges and updates are part of every year’s program. Today, that means continued focus on raw material quality and performance.

“Fruit presents a particular challenge because it has to be ripened or conditioned to the ideal stage,” Cantwell said, noting that some varieties of mangoes and melons, for example, have been identified as performing better in fresh-cut applications.”

Along those lines, packaging solutions for quality and safety are hot topics.

“People are always interested in new things about packaging – quality, how we measure and extend shelf life,” she said.

About 60 people are expected to attend from all segments of the industry.

“We have a few fresh-cut processors, new people in operations who (want) an overview, suppliers to the industry who want to understand more,” she said. “And other researchers attend.”

Enrollment is $1,150 and includes instruction, course materials, lunches, snacks and an evening networking reception. Deadline to register is Sept. 7.

For details, visit http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu or call 530-752-7672.