situation, but breakage and spoilage commonly occur from improper 
practices of packing, loading, handling, and ventilating-—especially 
in the shipment of perishables. 
When hampers and boxes are packed to the bulging point and then 
heaped on top of each other, contents are marred and bruised. When 
delays in transportation are reduced, more of the food value of 
perishables reaches the table and less waste from spoilage results. 
Many pounds of meat are wasted annually through death and 
crippling of animals in transit and from bruising in general. Three- 
fourths of the total loss is from bruises, not usually detected 
until after slaughter. Bruising occurs all along the line: (1) On 
farms; (2) in transit; (3) at public markets; (4) and to some degree 
in packing plants. The greatest damage happens in transit, particu¬ 
larly in poorly equipped trucks operated by careless handlers. Pro¬ 
jecting nails, splintered boards, sharp-cornered posts, slippery footing, 
the use of clubs, etc., are a few of the causes. 
Waste in the Wholesale Market 
To a lesser degree than in homes and retail establishments, certain 
waste takes place at the wholesale level. Some loss of foods occurs in 
cold storage and “ripening” rooms. This can be avoided by careful 
handling and closer attention. 
To reduce such losses the wholesaler should carry on a program 
with the following objectives: 
1. Adaptation of good receiving and delivering practices, such as 
careful handling and stacking on loading platform, to avoid bruising 
and deterioration from the elements. 
2. Confirmation to accepted storage plans prescribing temperature, 
humidity, ventilation, light, stacking, turning, etc., for the particular 
commodity. 
3. Sanction of progressive merchandising policy calling for adequate 
packaging, frequent culling, rotating (first in—first out), selling in cus¬ 
tomary receiving unit, reducing prices to obtain turn-over of foods 
which may spoil if held longer. 
Waste in the Retail Market 
There is additional loss in retail handling. Reports of some of the 
most carefully managed stores show spoilage losses of 3 to 10 percent 
on fresh fruits and of 3 to 15 percent on fresh vegetables. These are 
in addition to losses sustained in selling overripe products at reduced 
prices in order to avoid spoilage. Some waste is caused by new and 
inexperienced labor. Dropping crates and dragging sacks cause 
bruises or actual loss. Much waste occurs through storing, displaying, 
and selling without giving consideration to the keeping quality of the 
merchandise. Limited studies suggest that such waste alone totaled 
about $450,000,000 in 1942. 
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