Carrot packing Australia

Carrot packing Australia Compliance

View Fresh Produce App Specifications and Requirements.

Australian carrot production continues to expand to meet increasing international demand. In 2011/12, total production from an estimated 1870 hectares was 112 140 tonnes with an average yield of 60 tonnes per hectare (ABS).

In 2012/13,  Australian exporters shipped 64 430 tonnes of fresh carrots to customers in 15 countries. The major export markets are in the Middle East and Asia (see Carrot exports from WA). In the same year Australian carrot production was estimated at 319 185 tonnes from 5528 hectares.

Western Australian carrot producers are now mostly vertically integrated such that they manage growing, packing and marketing operations. Irrigated production areas on farms range from about 40 to 1000 hectares.

The largest scale production is under centre-pivot irrigation north of Perth. All export carrot production and packing is under third party audited quality assurance systems that include HACCP analysis to ensure food safety.

Large scale, highly mechanised field production and packing ensure that fresh hydro-cooled carrots are moved swiftly from the paddock through the packing shed and into refrigerated land and sea containers for delivery to local, interstate and overseas customers.

The environment
The mild winters and hot summers with cooling sea breezes, together with sandy soils in coastal areas of south-western Australia provide an ideal environment for year-round carrot production. Well-managed supplies of good quality groundwater for irrigation complete the recipe for growing high quality carrots.

The carrot growing areas are within 150km of Perth, at Lancelin and West Gingin to the north, and Myalup and Baldivis to the south. These areas fall between latitudes 30 and 33oS. Fremantle is the port close to Perth from where carrots are shipped.

Production system
Western Australian carrot production is located on sandy soils where crop nutrition and overhead sprinkler or centre-pivot irrigation is carefully managed using modern computer-controlled systems. Several hybrid Nantes style varieties are grown. Seed of these varieties is produced by vegetable breeding companies in France and Japan. Nantes varieties are renowned for their crunchy texture, sweet flavour and good colour. Seed is sown with precision air-seeders to ensure uniform size and shape.

Summer carrot crops can be ready for harvest in 16 weeks from sowing, while crops growing through the cooler winter months may grow for up to 24 weeks. Carrots are machine-harvested and transported a short distance to the packing shed.

After harvest, the carrots are washed, brush polished, hydro-cooled, size and quality graded and packed into 10, 15 and 20 kilogram plastic bag-lined cardboard cartons or into 0.5 and 1 kilogram retail ready pre-pack bags.

Packed export carrots are then pelletised and held in coolrooms at 1oC ready for loading into refrigerated sea containers. Careful cool chain management is integral to maintaining quality and shelf-life of Western Australian carrots.

The Australian Government oversees the export of Australian fresh fruit and vegetables through the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). AQIS has a role in ensuring that exports meet requirements of overseas authorities by providing information, inspection and certification services. AQIS fulfils Australia’s commitments to ensuring international standards and phytosanitary requirements are met.

Carrot packing Australia Food Safety

Fresh produce quality inspection specifications & requirements. 

Carrots have among the highest beta-carotene (provitamin A) level found in vegetables, which gives them the bright orange colour. B-carotene has antioxidant properties that help neutralise potentially health damaging free radicals. The deeper the carrot colour, generally the more carotene, which is broken down during digestion to vitamin A. Purple carrots contain anthocyanin, another antioxidant with health benefits.

Did you know?
Bitter off-flavours can develop when carrots are stored in open containers with ethylene-producing fruit such as apples and tomatoes. Sealing carrots in plastic bags in a refrigerator will maintain freshness and minimise development of bitter off-flavours.

Fresh carrots also contain small amounts of protein and oil, about 9% total sugars, 2.5% dietary fibre plus other vitamins, minerals and folate.

The antioxidants in carrots help protect the body from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and help to regulate blood sugar levels.

Both raw and cooked carrots are healthy additions to any diet.

Carrot packing Australia Packaging Standards

Good postharvest cooling and storage allow product to be stored and shipped to distant markets and meet consumer requirements.

The primary feature is to cool the product as soon as possible after harvest and maintain temperature and storage conditions that maximise quality delivered to consumers.

Correct handling also helps manage any food safety risks and allows traceability through the market chain. The groundwork for good quality begins in the field.


Growing condition effects
A balanced nutritional program is important to producing a high quality root with good keeping qualities. Ideally the crop will have run low on nitrogen in the week or two prior to harvest in order to reduce the risk of postharvest bacterial breakdown.

If irrigation is reduced close to harvest in an effort to dry out the soil to minimise the sand or soil that is lifted with the crop, it is most important that the roots don’t begin to desiccate.

Carrots grown for market usually remain in the vegetative phase. This contrasts with most fruit and many vegetables (for example, broccoli) that reach a defined and measurable maturity. Nantes carrots can be considered 'mature' when the root tips have filled, reaching the typical blunt-ended appearance.

Root size usually determines when carrots are harvested. It is important that yield and packout of the market-preferred sizes are optimised to maximise returns. Harvesting early to fill orders will sometimes mean that yields and hence profits are reduced. If harvest is delayed it is important that foliage diseases are managed and the level of root diseases is monitored to ensure serious crop losses are avoided.

Risk of bacterial breakdown is much higher in carrots harvested during hot weather. At these times, harvest during cool parts of the day.

Harvesting early in the morning will reduce dehydration and time for carrots to cool down. High temperatures accelerate the growth of disease-causing fungi and bacteria.

In cold wet weather, splitting and breakage can cause serious losses particularly in susceptible varieties. In general, Imperator varieties are less prone to breakage than Nantes varieties, which are generally less susceptible to breakage than Kuroda.
Harvest into clean bins and crates. This will minimise the spread of disease.
Minimise the drop height. Excessive drop heights lead to more bruising, splitting and breakage. Adjust machinery in the field and on the packing line to lower the drop height. Carrots dropped at the beginning of the packing line should have some padding to eliminate bruises, cracks and abrasions that serve as entry points for decay-causing fungi and bacteria.
Transport carrots carefully - avoid excessive bouncing and shaking in bins to reduce bruising and splitting. In hot weather, cover the carrots with a tarpaulin during transport.
Never keep harvested carrots in the sun. Shading will reduce dehydration. Heated carrots lose quality and dehydrate more quickly.
Coolstore carrots immediately after washing them. Where carrots are hydro-cooled after washing, they can be packed and then coolstored immediately. This greatly reduces the risk of postharvest diseases.
Chlorination (50 to 100 parts per million available chlorine and water pH 7.0 to 7.6) is only recommended if carrot breakdown is observed. It is likely that management practices in the field, and weather conditions predispose carrots to bacterial soft rot. Washing water should be changed as often as practical.
Storage conditions
Minimum quality requirements are that carrots should be intact, sound, clean, free from attack by diseases, pests, mould or rot, and without foreign smell or taste.

Storage life depends on storage temperature and humidity.
At 20°C and 60–70% relative humidity, carrots will keep for two to three days.
At 4°C and 80–90% relative humidity, carrots will keep for one to two months.
At 0°C and greater than 95% relative humidity, carrots will keep for up to six months.
The ideal conditions for best keeping quality are pre-cooling and storage at 0°C and 95–100% relative humidity.
The recommended temperature for storage is 0 to 2°C.
General facts
Ideally, carrot should be cooled to below 5°C within 24 hours of harvest.
Preferred cooling methods are hydro-cooling, forced-air cooling or hydro-vacuum cooling.
Ideal conditions for long-term storage are at 0°C and greater than 95% relative humidity.
Carrots freeze at about –1.4°C.
Carrots are susceptible to dehydration. Silvering (‘white scale or white blush’) results from dehydration of the partially removed outer skin (periderm) of carrots. Further dehydration results in development of phenolic browning in tissue beneath the periderm. Use of liners during storage and transportation increases moisture retention, reduces dehydration, and hence reduces silvering and phenolic browning.
Brush polishing removes the periderm from carrots solving the silvering problem but exposing roots to phenolic browning. Browning is initiated by physical damage of the surface during harvest and postharvest brushing, thereby exposing the internal tissue to oxidation. Browning usually develops when carrots are on the market shelf after a period of cold storage.
Carrots are sensitive to ethylene, so avoid mixed storage with ethylene-producing produce such as tomatoes, melons, apples, pears, plums, kiwifruit and avocados. Ethylene causes development of bitter flavours by stimulating production of compounds called isocoumarins.
Available chlorine at 50 to 100 parts per million (ppm) in clean rinse water reduces likelihood of bacterial and fungal breakdown. For chlorine to be effective, water pH has to be maintained from 7.0 to 7.6.
There is no advantage in holding whole fresh carrots under controlled atmosphere storage.
Packaging checklist
Common name or description of product
Net weight or volume
Country of origin
Date of packaging
Special storage requirements
'Perishable' and 'Handle with care' sign
Certification logos such as SQF quality assurance, if applicable
Packer/grower code