MPPP119 – Control fresh produce ripening operations

 

Overview

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to control fresh produce ripening operations.

You will need the skills and knowledge to load produce into ripening facilities and then maintain them under the conditions that are necessary for ripening. The operation of ripening facilities is essential to maintaining the quality of the final product. You will need the skills and knowledge to set-up and maintain the ripening process. You will need to collect and report management information.

You will also need the skills and knowledge to work to organisational product specifications and production schedules.

You will need to understand the principles of fresh produce ripening if you are involved in the supply of fruit. It includes understanding the role of ripening in the supply chain for both imported product and product that is grown in the UK. You will also need to know and understand the use of controlled ripening of fresh produce

This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in production operations.

 

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

 

Establish and maintain produce in a ripening facility

1.            maintain fresh produce in a ripening facility in accordance with the legal or regulatory requirements, the organisational health and safety, hygiene and environmental standards and instructions

2.            obtain ripening specification

3.            prepare ripening facility to check there is a hygienic working condition suitable for receiving produce

4.            assess condition and quality of produce

5.            prepare produce and load into ripening facility according to specification

6.            optimise the ripening process by ensuring effective environment conditions within the ripening facility

7.            observe, measure and report on ripening

8.            identify and report incidences where ripening is not happening according to specification

9.            maintain records of the ripening process

 

Unload ripening facilities

10.          unload fresh produces in accordance with the legal or regulatory requirements, the organisational health and safety, hygiene and environmental standards and instructions

11.          facilitate the cooling process to prepare for unloading

12.          unload produce in a manner which maintains quality

13.          establish produce in clean storage, in preparation for dispatch

14.          clean ripening facility into a hygienic condition

15.          maintain communication according to organisational procedures

16.          maintain records of ripening in accordance with organisational standards

                                                           

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

 

Controlling fresh produce ripening

1.            what the legal or regulatory requirements, the organisational health and safety, hygiene and environmental standards and instructions are and what may happen if they are not followed

2.            how and why produce is ripened

3.            the ripening specifications of various products and how these vary according to seasonality

4.            countries of origins, seasons and varieties

5.            how and why produce is prepared for ripening

6.            pre-ripening stowage and treatments

7.            how to access condition and quality of pre-ripened produce

8.            how the pre-ripened condition of the produce can impact on the ripening process

9.            the facilities used to ripen produce and how they are loaded and used to optimise the ripening process

10.          the ripening facilities that are needed to support the ripening process

11.          the environmental conditions required for ripening and cooling

12.          how packaging, spacing, airflow, temperature, ventilation, artificial enhancers and product mix can aid/inhibit the ripening process

13.          how to monitor and maintain the ripening process

14.          how to measure ripeness in fresh produce and identify quality issues

15.          how the ripening process can impact on product quality issues

16.          how to handle post ripened produce

17.          the importance of ripening linked to profitability

18.          the importance of maintaining product control and traceability during ripening operations

19.          the destructive and non destructive monitoring techniques used with ripened fresh produce

20.          how ineffective ripening can lead to wastage and potential customer complaints

21.          the storage conditions required to maintain the quality of ripened produce

22.          how to dispose of waste according to organisational procedures

23.          the limits of your own authority and competence and why it is important to work within those limits

24.          what recording, reporting and communication is needed, how to carry this out and the reasons why it is important to do so

 

Principles of fresh produce ripening

25.          the key chemical and physical stages in the natural ripening process of fresh produce

26.          the factors affecting the natural ripening process of fresh produce

27.          how the natural ripening process can be suppressed and controlled

28.          which fresh produce undergo a natural ripening process

29.          where the ripening of fresh produce occurs in the supply chain

30.          the timescales involved in the ripening of different fresh produce

31.          the different types of controlled ripening available for fresh produce

32.          which types of controlled ripening are used for different types of fresh produce

33.          which fresh produce commonly undergo controlled ripening

34.          how ripening is used in conjunction with long term storage to maintain continuity of supply

35.          the importance of ripening planning and forecasting to supply of product

36.          how the use of controlled ripening is affected by seasonality of fresh produce

37.          the importance of controlled and modified atmosphere storage to controlled ripening

38.          how to plan for the controlled ripening of fresh produce to check continuity of supply

39.          the agents that are used to help ripen fresh produce

40.          how product handling can impact on the ripening process and the quality of ripened product

41.          the physical characteristics of ripe and un-ripe produce

42.          how the condition of un-ripe produce can impact on the ripening process

43.          the storage requirements of both unripe and ripe products

44.          methods for assessing fruit ripeness and quality

 

Keywords: Food; drink; manufacturing; fresh produce; ripening