OFD TABLE GRAPE PACKING PROTOCOL

BUNCH MATURITY

BERRY MATURITY THS The grape should be fully mature, with average brix prefera ble greater than 17% (or higher if specification requires). Primary INDICATORS of fully mature grapes are: • Lignification at the top of the main stem, the stem must be green and firm, not flaccid. • The berry texture must be crisp. Any softness or transparen cy / glassy green must be avoided. Sugars must be fully de veloped, indicated by a fully developed opaque mesocarp.

CRUSHED BERRIES Crushed berries around the punnet rim are a frequent issue with the use of heat seal punnets. This adds unnecessary cost because of corrective action to remove the crushed berries. These crushed berries must be removed before heat sealing, as the punnet will not seal with them on. The berries also develop bleaching or moulds. These have to be removed to avoid rejections. There is a cost for a person to pick these ber ries off. Crushed berries are the result of berries going out of the pun net, lying on the rim, then being crushed from the box above or between punnets. This may happen if the bunch is a little proud of the punnet top, or if they bounce up during palleti sation. Care must be taken when palletising to keep product in the punnet. In order to reduce crushed berries please pay particular atten tion to fitting the bunches in the punnets. The specification allows for 3 bunches and a make up piece. So if the bunches are bold and sitting too high, please cut them to fit in better.

MATURITY OF THE BUNCH IS CRITICAL. The bunch MUST be “finished”, not soft and translucent.

WHITE AND CRISP

GLASSY GREEN AND SOFT

THE MESOCARP should be fully developed and opaque, indi cating high sugar content. The mesocarp must not be watery and translucent. Ideally bunches should have a small section of wood at the top of the stem, indicating maturity, through lignification.

Developed sugars in the mesocarp

Little development of sugars

ORIGIN FRUIT DIRECT Table Grape Packing Protocol | 2023 / 2024

25