INTEGRATED QUALITY-CONTROL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN BANANA PRODUCTION, PACKAGING, AND MARKETING

Globally, banana and plantain is the fourth most important crop in terms of food value. In some Central American and Asian countries banana production has become a major source of export earnings. Some countries, especially the Francophone West Africa, have acknowledge its commercial importance and capitalized on the special relationship accorded them by the Lome Convention to produce and export bananas to France and other EU markets concomitantly. The endemic banana quality problems reported by customers in the EEC and other markets around the world are scarring, bruising, knife injuries, crown rots, sooty mould, finger rots, speckling, under-peel discoloration, etc. These defects are complete turn-offs to the end users and have a significant negative impact on consumer satisfaction and sales volume. The objective of this research is to study the origin of these defects, from the plantation through the packaging station to the market place, and to implement strategies aimed at alleviating them. The reject conveyor sampling analysis (RCSA) and Eight Quality Control Check Points (8QCCPs) models were utilized.