The concepts and problems of postharvest food losses in perishable crops

The loss of foods in the post-harvest system is not new; it has always been a problem for mankind. In these days of rapidly enlarging population in the poorest countries of the world where food is already short, there is an increasing urgency to do a better job of conserving mankind food supply in order to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. The main objective of this review is to find out the concepts and problems of post-harvest food losses in perishable crops. It examined the various concepts of post-harvest food losses, the importance of perishable crops, causes of food losses, environmental consideration and its influence on food losses. It also sought solutions to some of the identified problems. It was established from the review that the factors contributing to these food losses include; the initial quality of the crop, mechanical injury, temperature, storage atmosphere, genetic factors and environmental influence. In order to minimize these problems, the appropriate agricultural techniques such as the general principles of extending shelf-life of these crops must be put in place. There should be proper management of temperature, humidity and effective methods for preventing these losses. Since most national governments acknowledge that post – harvest food losses is complex, therefore, it requires a commitment to an integrated approach, involving numerous organizations, including local communities and groups.   Key words: Post-harvest, perishable, crop, loss, food, storage.