A review of the role of transportation on the quality changes of fresh tomatoes and their management in South Africa and other emerging markets

This review is a summary of emerging approaches in maintenance of tomato quality from a supply chain planning perspective in South Africa and other emerging markets. The review systematically covered all literature related to postharvest management of fresh tomato fruit quality in South Africa and selected African nations. It hinges discussions on the increasingly important part transportation conditions play in postharvest quality management of fresh tomato fruit in the current global environment, where fresh food supply chains are ever more vertically integrated and coordinated. The review established transportation as one of the important operations accounting for up to 20% of postharvest quality loss that occur in fresh tomato supply chains in Africa and other emerging economies. There is also limited literature on the mechanics and the driving factors of postharvest quality losses during long distance transportation of tomato fruits. The use of old approaches in logistical and supply chain planning where the experience of manages is relied upon increases uncertainty in the performance of these supply chains. The study recommends further research on the impact transportation conditions play in the loss of nutritive elements from fresh tomatoes. Multiple nutrient deterioration kinetics of tomato fruit can be integrated into robust planning models that can aid the supply of quality fresh tomatoes at competitive prices