What is best practice for reducing waste in fruit production?

Developing from a small growing and processing company in Orange NSW, Avondale Foods has developed and grown over the last 29 years. We now serve various bakeries, food manufacturers and food service distributors with a range of diced, sliced and pureed fruit ingredients.

As the business has grown, larger focus has been on reducing waste before, during and after the transformation process, and how to manage the fruit waste we can’t avoid. Here are some best practices for minimizing waste in fruit production:

Improving agricultural techniques:

Using drip irrigation systems, and moisture sensors ensures that fruit is not overwatered, as well as minimizing water waste.

Similarly with pest management, reducing the chemical pesticide used can further prevent fruit waste. By implementing more biological pest controls, we avoid harming beneficial organisms that are vital in the growth and development of the fruit.

Harvesting fruit at the optimal times will make sure the highest quality fruit is yielded, leading to less waste due to post-harvest loss and falling fruit.

Utilising by-products and repurposing:

Most fruits have parts that aren’t typically consumed, especially apple – which occupies most of our production hours at Avondale Foods. Core, stalks, carpel & skin are repurposed as stock feed, with many surrounding property and stock owners taking advantage of the product.

During mango processing season, seed waste is repurposed by local landscaping companies and composted into soil and garden fertilizers.

Sustainable Supply Chain practices:

Forecasting the demand for fruit ingredient production is key in ensuring customers receive the freshest, highest quality product possible, as well as preventing overproduction.

Following production, streamlining the transportation and minimizing the product’s time in transit greatly reduces the chance of spoilage. The maintenance and use of refrigerated transportation also ensure the product is kept within the required food safe temperatures.

By implementing these best practices in the production of fruit ingredients – from agricultural methods, through to effective and safe transport of the finished product – waste can be minimized in multiple areas of the transformation process. Not only do these practices improve the profitability of production, but importantly, they enhance overall sustainability. To learn more about how we apply these practices in our own fruit processing operations, feel free to get in touch with us.

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