GOOSEBERRY VALUE ADDITION AND FOOD SAFETY

Introduction to cleaning, removal of inedible parts and size reduction

Figure 2 Goose berry fruiting (source: Google images, 2020)

 

2.2.1 Introduction

Gooseberry is a common name for many species of Ribes (which also includes currants) and other species of plants. The berries of those in the genus Ribes (sometimes placed in the genus Grossularia) are edible and may be green, red, purple, yellow, white, or black. Gooseberry (Emblica officinalis) is one of the important fruit with igh nutritional and medicinal properties with an excellent source of vitamin C, phytochemicals and minerals. Physical characteristics are crucial for designing the equipment for processing, handling and storage of the fruit. Processing of fruit into value added products is governed by chemical composition of fruit. Raw gooseberries are 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 1% protein and 0.6% fat (table). In a 100-gram reference amount, gooseberries provide 44 calories and are a rich source of vitamin C (33% of the Daily Value), with no other micronutrients in significant content. The fresh gooseberry fruits are not popular as a fresh fruit due to their high astringency and their storability after harvesting is also limited due to its high perishable nature. They have a great potential in processed forms, which can have great demand in national as well as international market. Hence attention has been focused on the value addition of different value added products from gooseberries. Despite of potential source of Vitamin C traditional method of processing provides a poor quality of product with low nutrient content and limits the utilization of the fruit locally and internationally.

Streaming or blanching the fruit prior to processing can minimize ascorbic acid loss in the products. Gooseberry fruit is highly nutritive with great medicinal benefits. As there fruits are highly perishable in nature, its storage is very limited. Thus, there is a lot of attention towards processing aspects of gooseberry fruits so that the demand of its products increases among the consumers. Due to its astringent nature, consumers are hesitant to eat it in raw form. Attempts are being made to produce products which are not only nutritionally delicious but also acceptable among the consumers.

 Farmer training is a key gesture that can greatly contribute towards a food and nutrition secure Africa. There is a serious disparity between the ease with which the European Union countries easily meet the set regulations and Standards for international trade and the struggle by their African fellows. It therefore becomes necessary that farmers be empowered with the necessary skills to aid in meeting the international standards as well as the National Rwanda Government standards. Farmer training will increase horticultural productivity as well as economic empowerment of the Gooseberry farmers.  Sharing with farmers the knowledge on full value chain and post-harvest handling of the gooseberry shall greatly minimize post-harvest losses. With this, the gooseberries shall be available for use for an extended period.  Gooseberries are one of the fruits that for a very long time in Africa, have been let to grow as wild fruits. However, due to the wide range of benefits of gooseberry fruits, the horticultural crop is currently gaining fame and this can be attributed to the wide range of value-added products that can be gotten from gooseberry fruits.

 

 

2.2.2 Process map for gooseberry fruits during processing.

 

 

2.2.3 Harvesting

The gooseberries can be picked by hand and put in the baskets. Harvesting time should be greatly observed to ensure the berries are picked when they are mature and not over-ripened. While picking the berries, care should be taken to do a quick sorting and grading. Sorting and grading of gooseberries would enable a quick separation between low grade berries and high-grade berries. High quality berries fetch higher prices as compared to damaged or small size berries.

• The color of the calyx often determines the maturity of the gooseberry. When the gooseberry calyx has a tan (light brown) color, or some of the fruits drop, then the berries are ready for picking. The fruit often matures for harvesting 60 to 100 days after flowering.
• The harvesting season can last for 3 to 4 months. In Rwanda, some of the regions’ climatic zone favors the growth of gooseberries to give two harvesting seasons. This is typically in regions that exhibit bimodal rainfall.
• When the gooseberry fruits are well maintained, the fruits would give good yields for 2 or 3 years.

 

2.2.4 Cleaning

During the harvesting of gooseberry fruits, care should be taken to remove the stalks and a few loosely held husks. The removal of the outer covering is key as it makes the cleaning of the fruit easy. Cleaning removes the outer covering soils and minimizes the microbial load. It should always be done using running water. To ensure effective cleaning, all the surface adhering soils should be removed as well as any debris. To aid in maintaining the integrity of the fruit berries, the fruits should be dipped in NaCl solution. One can follow the following simple procedure:

I.Wash fresh gooseberries in lukewarm water

II.Clip off the stems and brown appendages with your fingernails or alternatively cut them off with a small pair of scissors

Figure 4 Cleaned gooseberry fruits (source: Food hacks wonderhowto.com, 2020)

 

2.2.5 Removal of inedible parts

For effective processing of the gooseberries, one needs to remove the inedible parts of the fruits. The key step is to remove the fruit stalk using the hands. It is further advisable to remove the outer covering of the fruits to just remain with the berries. The removal of the inedible portion of the berries can be done using simple kitchen equipment such as a knife.

 

2.2.6 Disintegration or size reduction

Peeling of gooseberries enables one to tap the jam or the juice of the berries. This depends on the final product that one needs produced. Peeling entails removing the berry “skin” or outer cover to fully access the fruit berries. Depending on the scale of operation, this can be done using a slicer or a knife and for well-established firms an efficiently fabricated machine can be used.

Figure 5 Slicing of gooseberry fruits (source: foodandwine.com, 2020)

 

3.0 Principles and Methods of Value Addition 

3.1 Preservation and methods that can be utilized

Post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables can be attributed to the high perishability of the fruits due to their high-water content. It therefore, becomes necessary to preserve the fruits and vegetables to ensure they become available for use for a longer time.  Preservation of fruits entails simple processing techniques such as freezing, canning, fermentation, salting, drying or dehydrating.

 

3.1.1 Drying

Drying is a method of preservation and value addition of gooseberries by use of water elimination or by reduction of water content or moisture content. Gooseberry fruits have high water content and thus would quickly spoil a few days after harvesting. There are various methods of drying; sun drying, solar drying and oven drying of fruits.  The dried fruits can be stored for a longer period of time as compared to the fresh fruits.

• Drying of fruits entails the removal of water from the fruits. This often results in flavor change of the fruits due to the removal of water concentrated. The process equally changes the texture of the fruits making them leathery.
• The dried fruits when kept in the right package and stored at room temperature can store for approximately one year or more.
• The method of drying and the duration of drying of fruits depends on the type of fruit and how soon it can be used.
• For most commercial processing, oven drying of fruits and vegetables is often preferred even though one can equally do solar drying as well as sun drying but under sterile or hygienic conditions.
• The simple oven drying procedure entails:

• Produce preparation which entails proper cleaning of the fruits to remove any dirt and debris then drying them with a towel or letting them dry. It also involves removal of the unwanted parts or the inedible parts.
• Blanching of the produce which is short time heat treatment of the produce, though not advised as it leads to alteration of flavor.
• Actual drying- placing the sliced fruits into the oven dryer. This is often done at 150 degrees F. Care should be taken to ensure a slim arrangement of the slices in the trays for efficient drying. This can be done for hours or maximum 24 hours.
• Watching the produce as it dries and ensuring the fruits are removed when they are dry to prevent burning or ashing.

 

 

3.1.2 Salting

This involves the addition of salts to the fruits. The process capitalizes on the hypotonic property of salts which makes it difficult for bacteria to survive. The organisms often die due to dehydration. This enables the fruits to be stored for lengthy durations at ambient temperature.

Simple salted gooseberry can be made by the following procedure:

• Clean and sort the gooseberries.
• Boil water in a vessel/batch tank, with a pinch of spices/preservatives added to it.
• Once the water starts to boil, add the gooseberries to it, and allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
• After the gooseberries cool, transfer the gooseberries to a glass bottle, and fill the bottle with the same water in which the gooseberries were cooked.
• Slit the green chillies and add, along with some salt.
• Keep the bottle in room temperature for 1 day.
• Store the pickle in the refrigerator.

Salted gooseberries

 

 3.1.3 Freezing

Freezing is one of the simplest methods of fruit preservation to reduce post-harvest losses and ensure the fruits are available for a longer time. It is a low temperature treatment of the fruits that aims to reduce spoilage. However, care should be taken to avoid chilling injury to fruits. Freezing of the fruits should be done almost immediately after harvesting. If the fruits are to be transported to the freezer then the transportation should be done in controlled atmosphere. Freezing reduces enzymatic reactions, stops micro-organisms spoilage and reduces water activity. The formation of ice crystals can lead to texture spoilage.

 

3.1.4 Pickling

Pickling entails preservation of fruits in other salts or hypertonic solutions. The simple pickling procedures entail the preservation of fruits in vinegar, salt brine or a similar mixture.

Simple pickling procedure

• Clean and drain gooseberry and load in a jars.
• Add sugar, vinegar, water in a vat and bring it to a boil.
• Add salt and mix well.
• Cool and add in ginger and green chillies.
• Pour this over the gooseberry and hold for 1 day before packaging/consumption
• The pickle stays good for over a month.

Pickled gooseberry

3.1.5 Fermentation

Fermentation serves as a value addition processes as well as a preservation method. Fermentation as a process involves the conversion of sugars of carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids. Fermentation of fruits often leads to the production of wine which can either be red or white wine. The type of wine, be it red or white is a natural selection.

           

4.0 Value Adding Technologies

4.1 Introduction

Value addition of fruits is one of the key steps to ensure their preservation. When the fruits are produced in large quantities, the demand for the fruits is often superseded and thus much of the produce is channeled to waste. To avoid such wastes and to ensure the horticultural production makes economic sense to the farmers and the parties involved along the value chains, value addition of the fruits become necessary.

4.2 Benefits of gooseberry value addition

I.Minimizes post-harvest losses and thus contribution towards food and nutrition

II.Leads to production of commercially demanded products such as wine, yogurt and this earns more money in the gooseberry value chain

III.Ensures prolonged supply of the nutrients in the gooseberry

1. Creation of employment opportunities, through the processing companies, and thus raising the living standards of the parties involved in the value chain.

 

4.3 Types of value addition processes for gooseberries

4.3.1 Fruit cheese and butter making

After following the cleaning and size reduction procedures highlighted in chapter 3 above, the cleaned, graded and sorted fresh fruits can be used for fruit cheese making. The following simple procedure can be used:

• Put the fresh fruits in a pan of cold water. Let it simmer while adding a little lemon juice and citric acid for low acid fruits. The gooseberry acidic value can be checked and adjustments made accordingly.
• Using a sieve or a nylon cloth, rub the fruits through to harvest the pulp. Ensure you do this hygienically to avoid contamination.
• Add a similar amount of sugar to the pulp and stir until it dissolves. You can let the mixture simmer for 1 hour or observe the thickening of the cheese.
• For fruit butter, boil the pulp until it thickens while stirring and occasionally adding sugar. Simmer the mixture until it becomes thick and creamy.
• Fruit butter becomes ready when there is no liquid in the mixture (no visible liquid)
• Fruit cheese is ready when a spoon drawn across the pan leaves a clean thin line.

 

4.3.2 Juice processing

The fruits are preserved either in water or salt solution for a couple of weeks for the commercial preparation of products. In the quality of the juice processed from fruits steep preserved in water for 30 days was assessed during storage upto 9 months under ambient conditions. The juice is prepared from fruits withdrawn at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 days of steeping preservation in water, pasteurized at 90°C and preserved with 500 ppm SO2 in glass bottles under ambient conditions. The contents of ascorbic acid and polyphenols in fresh juice decreased from 309 to 43 mg/100 ml and 3.09 to 0.57 per cent, respectively, when extracted from fruits after 30 days of steeping preservation. In juice, prepared from fruits steep preserved for more than 10 days, the decline in nutritional quality will be more pronounced.

Gooseberry juice

 

Process flow diagram

 

Gooseberry Fruits

Washing

Seed removal and separation into segments

Addition of water (1:1)

Passing through pulper

Filtering

Boiling at Temp. 78 ⁰C

Addition of KMS

Filling in sterilized bottles

Pasteurization for 20 minutes

Cooling

Technological flow-chart for processing of gooseberry juice

 

4.3.3 Jam

Jam is a concentrated fruit product processing a fairly heavy body rich in natural fruit flavour. Pectin in fruit gives it a good set and high concentration of sugar facilitates its preservation. It is prepared by boiling the fruit pulp and juice with sufficient quantity of sugar to a reasonably thick consistency to hold the fruit tissues in position. The ideal fruit jam should contain 45 per cent of fruit portion, 68 per cent of total soluble solids and 0.5 per cent acidity. Best quality jam can be prepared from the varieties which have low fiber content and more pulp percentage.

Ripe firm fruits

Washing

Peeling

Pulping

Addition of sugar (add water if necessary)

Boiling (with continuous stirring)

Addition of citric acid

Judging of end-point by further cooking up

to 105ºC or 68-70 per cent TSS or by sheet test

Filling hot into sterilized bottles

Cooling

Capping

Storage (at ambient temperature)

Technological flow-chart for processing of jam

 

4.3.4 Canned Gooseberry fruits

Canning is the thermal processing of gooseberries to reduce the microbial load of the fruits and thus ensuring microbial safety and prolonged shelf-life. The process is done through retorting which is basically a heat transfer process to ensure food safety of the gooseberries. Wet heat is normally used to sterilize both the container and the fruits. The process is done at 121 degrees Celsius for a period of 25 minutes. The procedure entails hermetic sealing of the fruits before retorting.

 

4.3.5 Wine making procedures

Wine making using the gooseberry fruit is one of the value addition technologies that would aid in the development of a more shelf stable product while increasing the commercial value of the fruits. The wine making value addition technology is a natural process & requires very little human intervention. The process entails five basic procedures which include; harvesting, crushing and pressing, fermentation, clarification and finally aging and bottling

1.Harvesting

As discussed in chapter 3, only mature gooseberries should be harvested. The harvested gooseberry should have a reliable number of fermentable sugars to yield high quality alcohol. The harvesting should be done at the physiological maturity.  To date, a blend of science and old-fashioned tasting determine the maturity of gooseberries for harvesting. After harvesting, sorting and grading, the gooseberries deemed fit for wine making are subjected to crushing and processing.

1. Crushing and processing

The process uses mechanical crushers as opposed to traditional human labor. The mechanical crushers are quite efficient and thus reduces the delay period of the traditional process which involved the trodding and stomping of the berries into mush. The process entails the separation of the berry juice from the fruit pulps. Mechanical pressing and crushing have greatly improved the quality of the wine as compared to the old-fashioned human labor. Care should be taken to separate the seeds, skin and solids.

1. Fermentation

Natural fermentation of fruit juices sets in within 6-12 hours if left in the open. For commercial purposes, wild yeasts are added. The processes are done in well-established wineries or clean containers. Some wineries manipulate the processes by killing all the naturally occurring yeasts then introducing their own desired yeasts. Once the fermentation process starts, the procedure is let to go on for about 21 days. At this stage, all the sugars are converted to alcohol. The alcohol content of the sugar varies from 10% to 15% depending on the region and the maturity of the fruits

4.Clarification

When the fermentation process is complete, the clarification process is initiated immediately. This can be done through racking or siphoning. Filtering and finning may also be done at the stage. Filtration can be done using a fine membrane or a course filter. Finning occurs once substances are added to a wine to filter them. The processes aids in precipitation of dead yeasts and other solids.

1. Aging and bottling

The final stage of wine making entails the aging and bottling of the wine. One can choose to bottle the wine immediately or allow the wine to age for a few more days then bottle it.

 

 

 

4.4 Value added products

Figure 6 Gooseberry fruit wine. A value added product (source: Hooky.co.uk

Figure 7 Gooseberry dried fruits, can keep for 1 year (source: 123rf.com,2020)

Figure 8 Gooseberry yoghurt, one of the commercial traded value-added products (source: MilliesYork.Uk, 2020)

 

5.0 Introduction to Product Quality Assurance.

Figure 9 Rwanda Standard Board logo (source: Macuruzi.com, 2020

5.1 Introduction

There are well stipulated guidelines such as HACCP, Good Agricultural Practices as well as Good Manufacturing Practices. The guidelines are established to protect the final consumers of the goods produced as well as protect the trading parties. Standards are established to guide on the quality of products and to ensure the market demands or requirements are met. The set standards become the values against which quality control and quality assurance can be levied.

For efficient and effective trade, both at the national level and international level, food standards serve as one of the guiding documents on what should be sold. The standards are often developed by the parties concerned in the framework of a standard body.  The standards are often voluntary and based on a consensus by the interested parties. However, ones a standard is set then it becomes mandatory for the parties to ensure their products meet the set standards.  Standardization consists of the process of formulating, issuing and implementation of standards. The standards protect the consumers and equally ensures there is a well-defined requirement that the producers and trader have to meet.      

 

5.2 Principal aspects of standardization

Standards play an important role in facilitating trade. The standards, which are voluntary can be legally binding and be used as a basis of a contract between the producers and the consumers. The standards must specify each requirement clearly and the requirements be easily measured objectively. For the agriculture and food industry, the most important aspects of standardization are:

 

1.Terminology

 The standard should be written in a language understood by all parties

Figure 10 No language illustration (source: Quizzclub.com)

 

2.Methods of sampling analysis

The sampling method should be adequate, ascertain quality, quality assurance, quality control and management with regards to effecting variations.

 

3.Product specification and grading

Food standards should have a specification of each element or content of the food. The limits should be well established and categorically specified.

 

4.Requirements for handling, transport and storage

Food standards should specify the packaging materials for a particular food product. The handling, transport and storage conditions as well as the longer a product should stay before spoilage (Tata Motors, 2020).

Figure 11 Mobile fresh vegetables van (source: Tata Motors, 2020)

 

5.3 Food safety and Standards applied

Food safety refers to all the processes that food is taken through to ensure it would not cause harm to the final consumer if handled and prepared in the right way. Food safety therefore plays a major role along the farm to fork value chain.

There are various types of food safety standards which includes:

I.Numerical standards - Giving value limits of the ingredients or level permissible for each constituent of the food.

II.Processes standards - Guidelines on how the food should be handled along the value chai

III.Process standards that largely target the management of systems.

Food safety standards applied along the goose berry value chain include but not limited to:

• HACCP- this is often a hands-on process that mostly is undertaken by the food handlers to aid in monitoring of each and every stage / process that the food is subjected to.
• Good manufacturing practices- They guide the producers on the pre-requisite requirements and the expectation of the manufacturing company to ensure produced food are of high quality.
• ISO standards - International standards that are used to accredit both agricultural producers and other institutions. There are well defined ISO series for each set of organization types.

 

 

 

5.4 Basic Characteristics of a Standard

The general principle concerning the content of a standard should include:

1.Test method for each requirement

A good standard should clearly specify how each requirement is to be tested, for instance, if the moisture content of a food product is to be less than 14 %, like for most cereals, then a good standard should specify, the method of determination of moisture content, often the AOAC method.

2.Avoidance of repetition

Figure 12 Repetition leads to loss of common meaning (source: reword.ca, 2020)

A standard should be singular and non-repetitive. The standard should be clearly stated and any concerns of ambiguity or repetitiveness avoided. The standard should have one way of interpretation.

 

3.Alternative test methods

A good standard should give more than one option to determine each requirement element. For instance, a good standard can give more than one option for weight determination of a product. This can enable the parties involved to be flexible and use cost effective and readily available items to determine each requirement.

 

4.Values to be declared by the manufacturer

A good standard should highlight the requirements that must be declared by the producers or manufacturer. This shall aid in verification process of the product. One shall then check for the requirements levels as per the standard and equally check for conformity as declared by the manufacturer.

 

5.Implementation of Basic concepts of a standard

A good standard should clearly state its implementation process and the requirements. This should be clearly stated in a language that all the players understand as well as have a one-way interpretation. Emphasis should be created to avoid the use of indefinite adverbs and or adjective. There is need for precision.

 

6.Avoidance of duplication

Ambiguity while drafting a standard should not be tolerated. Duplication should be avoided while drafting a standard. Standards should be written precisely written.

 

7.Reference to Standards

There are international standards developed by bodies such as CODEX as well as Rwanda Standards Board. While drafting the standards, clear reference should be made i.e., what informs the standards.

 

5.5 Importance of Standards

I.Standards are written to achieve safety & reliability.

II.To reduce costs and increase flexibility.

III.The standards promote both national and international trade (facilitate trade)

IV.Standards can form the basis for mutual understanding between two parties

1. Standard can be used as a tool to facilitate communication, measurement, commerce and manufacturing
2.            

6.0 Product Traceability

An elaborate and efficient product recall and traceability system is needed to ensure strict adherence to international food standards and national food standards. The growth and trade of vegetables needs a proper product traceability.  The ability of a business or a farm to track movements of various food products (raw materials, food compounds and finished products) throughout the supply chain (farm to fork) is quite necessary as it ensures customers are served efficiently.  A good product system provides many benefits.

 

6.1 Benefits of product Traceability

1.Food security

Food traceability ensures one is able to track raw materials from the supplier to the final product. Traceability thus ensures food production strictly adheres to HACCP procedures as guided for a particular product. With the knowledge of all the ingredients used to make a particular product and the sources of the raw materials, traceability ensures food safety.  Consumers are quite concerned about the food they eat and the sources of the food. Traceability ensures the producer can ascertain which particular consumer partook the food and thus create an easy product recall process.

 

Figure 13 Food safety reminder (source: food safety switch, 2020)

 

2.Real time location of food products

Traceability further entails knowing exactly where a particular lot or batch is and the ingredients used. The ability to trace the products at every stage of the value chain ensures an efficient recall program. It is further advantageous to both the company and the consumers. Although at national level not so much product tracing is done in vegetable value chains, the export market demands for an efficient and elaborate product tracing system.

3.Ease of correction action

The knowledge of the exact location for a particular lot, ensures an efficient recall program or an efficient correction action should any quality issue arise.

4.Compliance with regulation

Reliable and verifiable complete traceability management software is vital as it ensures the product becomes compliant with new regulatory requirements as well as the standard requirements by International Food Safety Organization.

 

6.2 Components of a traceability system

There are three basic components of a traceability system:

• A mechanism for identifying Traceability Resource units- involves making a choice of the identifier code types and structures.
• A mechanism for documenting transformation- the food supply chain which entails the movement of material from the farm to the table has series of transformations (change of product form one phase to the next value-added product). There is therefore the need to document these transformations. Thus, for a good traceability system, there has to be a reliable mechanism for documenting the transformations.
• A mechanism for recording the TRU Attributes- Having the right TRU identified, the next component of a traceability system is to establish a sufficient recorder for the splits of the transformations

 

6.3 Challenges to food Traceability

To effectively have a traceability program, especially for the small enterprises, there are a lot of challenges that one has to deal with. The cost of implantation is quite high. Having a well-established software to run efficiently is also quite technical. Thus, in the development of a working traceability program, the company or individual has to overcome the following challenges:

i.High Maintenance cost- the cost of installation and maintenance is quite high

ii.Difficult and Time-consuming data analysis- one needs to source for the right set of expertise to assist in data analysis. This incurs some high costs

iii.Increased consumer awareness - consumers are demanding to know what exactly they are consuming and the source of the raw materials. Are there chemical residues? Is the production near a company or are there traces of heavy metals? There is an increased awareness from the consumers and the demand to know whether vegetables are organic or non-organic and or if the raw materials for a product are ethically sourced.

iv.Strict legal regulation- the laws are quite clear on the need to adhere to the international and national standards. Tracing the item shall ensure product is monitored all through the value chain to be able to detect all the possible sources of contamination

 

6.4 Criteria for an effective food traceability system

I.Proper documentation

A good traceability should contain all the necessary information that includes but is not limited to: contact information of all the parties involved along the supply chain, list of food products and their provider, list of product descriptions, lot identification for ease of tracking, raw material and their respective codes, well captured dates and characteristics, production or manufacturing conditions, storage conditions and well stated packaging materials, carrier and distribution.

II.Efficient inventory tracking and management

A reliable software should be used to track the raw materials up to the final product.

1. Response preparedness

A good traceability schedule creates an environment for timely response in the event of any food contamination.           

7.0 Equipment / processor maintenance and operation      

Figure 14 Machine maintenance (source: parsable.com, 2020)

7.1 Introduction

Machines or equipment need to be periodically maintained to ensure longer machine service years as well as increased efficiency and reduced machine downtime.  Preventive maintenance refers to maintenance that is regularly performed on a piece of equipment to lessen the likelihood of it failing. The maintenance is formed on a working equipment to minimize the likelihood of failure.  Preventive maintenance serves to benefit through lowering maintenance costs, reducing equipment downtime, improving asset lifespan and efficiency and work place safety. There are eight types of preventive maintenance

1. Time Based Maintenance - entails periodical replacement of parts. The frequency of maintenance is often as prescribed by the manufacturer and or past performances.
2. Predictive maintenance – This is more of a forecasted maintenance. It entails pinpointing when a piece of equipment is likely to fail and addressing it before it happens. It aids in minimizing downtime. The model further helps one to plan maintenance tasks based on knowledge about overall equipment health and expected performance. This expertise is gained through gathering and analysis of data.
3. Corrective Maintenance - While having the periodical preventative maintenance schedules and a problem is identified, the problem shall be corrected immediately without getting a work a new work order for it. Thus, it is onsite corrective action.

4.Prescriptive maintenance - this is almost similar to predictive maintenance as they give similar final outcomes of forecasting. However, it uses advanced analysis, machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate insights to predict about maintenance and when to do it.

1. Risk based monitoring - Done on equipment to decrease mechanical failures by evaluating the level of risks associated with the equipment then prioritizing the maintenance activity.
2. Condition Based maintenance - Involves monitoring an identified condition of a piece of operating equipment or machinery to determine what type of maintenance needs to be done and when to do it. Key elements to consider while monitoring the condition are: visual, wear debris or particles, temperature and sound.
3. Failure finding maintenance – this is often done to randomly check if part of or an equipment is still working. It can be termed as checkup maintenance. This method of checkup applies hidden failures that can be uncovered through checkup.  

 

7.2 Benefits of Preventive Maintenance

i.Reduces business or farm operations downtime and closures due to unexpected equipment failures

ii.Increases equipment life expectancy.

iii.Ensures employees work only during schedule time (eliminates overtime payments).

iv.Significantly reduces safety risks for employees and customers.

• Less energy consumption and thus reduces bills.

 

7.3 Constraints of Preventive maintenance

i.Budget constraints and considerations

ii.Time-consuming scheduling and inspections

iii.Staff time and resources

iv.Overkill of preventive maintenance

v.Requires planning

 

 

8.0 Conclusion

Farm households are the primary change agents and to create an increased productivity along the gooseberry value chain in Rwanda, it is necessary to focus the training on the farmers or farmer groups. The training of farmers in simple and yet easy to absorb method creates greater impact to the lives of the farmers who are in need of the technical know-how. This training manual has dissected the gooseberry value chain geared towards farmer empowerment. To aid in increasing the productivity of gooseberries the following should be done:

I.Intensify Farmers training to change their perception from the current wild gooseberries to make them appreciate the berries as commercial crops.

II.To engage the farmers in full value chain approach while familiarizing the farmers with the relevant value-added products and the technologies to make the products at farm households.

III.To challenge farmers to start growing gooseberries. The target market should be for exports and thus the relevant standards should be shared with the farmers.

IV.Train farmers on the international and national Standards that guide the production and trade in gooseberry.

V.The Rwandan Government to allocate some finances in the national budget to promote specifically the production of gooseberries.

 

References

1. AffirmX. (2020, November 30). Battling the Language Barrier. Retrieved from Affirmx.com: https://www.affirmx.com/2016/03/21/battling-language-barrier/
2. Cartercenter. (2020, November 30). The Carter Center. Retrieved from Trachoma Health Education Materials Library: Flip Charts: https://www.cartercenter.org/health/trachoma_education/flipcharts.html
3. Tata Motors. (2020, November 30). Fruit and Vegetable Van gallery. Retrieved from Tatamotors: https://www.tatamotors.co.tz/product/applications/distribution/fruit-and-vegetable-van/