Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health
Post-harvest losses contribute significantly to food insecurity and affect the nutritional status and health of populations. This study estimates the waste of fresh fruits in the post-harvest chain and identifies avoidable causes along the food supply chain to extrapolate good practices for the empo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/89 |
| _version_ | 1827599263134121984 |
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| author | A.G. Kamda Silapeux Roger Ponka Chiara Frazzoli Elie Fokou |
| author_facet | A.G. Kamda Silapeux Roger Ponka Chiara Frazzoli Elie Fokou |
| author_sort | A.G. Kamda Silapeux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Post-harvest losses contribute significantly to food insecurity and affect the nutritional status and health of populations. This study estimates the waste of fresh fruits in the post-harvest chain and identifies avoidable causes along the food supply chain to extrapolate good practices for the empowerment of retailers. A semi-structured questionnaire and a checklist were used in the administrative units of Yaoundé, Cameroon, from May to June 2017. Fifty fresh fruit retailers were randomly selected. Information, including socioeconomic profile, handling practices, transport, and food wastes, was analyzed. Dominant figure in the fruit market are 34-aged women. Despite significant professional experience, none of retailers received formal training. The perceived main causes of fruit waste were failure to sell, mechanical damage during transport, and storage conditions. Inappropriate packaging materials and poor hygiene were also observed, and about 40–50% of fruits did not reach the consumers’ table. Nutritional education of the general population is crucial in facing the challenge of fresh fruit waste. The analysis of critical points in the post-harvest fresh fruit chain highlights good cost-effective practices. Training and empowerment of retailers represent the main measures to decrease fruit waste, in addition to nutritional training programs for the general population recommending the daily consumption of fruits for healthy life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:09:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-19e7dc1c69624995bcba3776f104644c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:09:23Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-19e7dc1c69624995bcba3776f104644c2023-12-03T14:01:27ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722021-01-011128910.3390/agriculture11020089Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer HealthA.G. Kamda Silapeux0Roger Ponka1Chiara Frazzoli2Elie Fokou3Department of Social Economy and Family Management, HTTTC, University of Buea, P.O. Box 249, Kumba, CameroonDepartment of Agriculture, Livestock and Derivated Products, National Advanced School of Engineering of Maroua, University of Maroua, P.O. Box 46 Maroua, CameroonDepartment of Cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic diseases, and ageing, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyNutrition, Food Safety and Wholesomeness. Prevention, Education and Research Network, P.O. Box 3743 Yaoundé, CameroonPost-harvest losses contribute significantly to food insecurity and affect the nutritional status and health of populations. This study estimates the waste of fresh fruits in the post-harvest chain and identifies avoidable causes along the food supply chain to extrapolate good practices for the empowerment of retailers. A semi-structured questionnaire and a checklist were used in the administrative units of Yaoundé, Cameroon, from May to June 2017. Fifty fresh fruit retailers were randomly selected. Information, including socioeconomic profile, handling practices, transport, and food wastes, was analyzed. Dominant figure in the fruit market are 34-aged women. Despite significant professional experience, none of retailers received formal training. The perceived main causes of fruit waste were failure to sell, mechanical damage during transport, and storage conditions. Inappropriate packaging materials and poor hygiene were also observed, and about 40–50% of fruits did not reach the consumers’ table. Nutritional education of the general population is crucial in facing the challenge of fresh fruit waste. The analysis of critical points in the post-harvest fresh fruit chain highlights good cost-effective practices. Training and empowerment of retailers represent the main measures to decrease fruit waste, in addition to nutritional training programs for the general population recommending the daily consumption of fruits for healthy life.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/89food wasteretailersfood transportsustainabilityresource conservationhealthy lifestyle |
| spellingShingle | A.G. Kamda Silapeux Roger Ponka Chiara Frazzoli Elie Fokou Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health Agriculture food waste retailers food transport sustainability resource conservation healthy lifestyle |
| title | Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health |
| title_full | Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health |
| title_fullStr | Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health |
| title_short | Waste of Fresh Fruits in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Challenges for Retailers and Impacts on Consumer Health |
| title_sort | waste of fresh fruits in yaounde cameroon challenges for retailers and impacts on consumer health |
| topic | food waste retailers food transport sustainability resource conservation healthy lifestyle |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/89 |
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