Prepackaging Tomatoes

Excerpts from the report Summary: In a study of 14 tomato prepackaging plants, it was found that these plants could, on the average, increase their labor efficiency by 36 percent if they all used the most efficient methods and practices found among them. If the plants are typical of the entire tomato prepackaging industry, it is estimated that general adoption of the most efficient methods and practices should result in an annual saving of more than 2-4 million dollars in direct labor cost. However, some plants, particularly those using extensive manual operations, would probably find it necessary to invest in more mechanized equipment than they now have. To summarize, it was found that: (1) An average 24 percent reduction in labor costs could be achieved in terminal market tomato-prepackaging plants by adoption of more efficient operating methods; (2) additional labor savings could be obtained by receiving tomatoes in large, jumble-packed containers instead of in lug boxes, although waste and spoilage losses were found to be greater in plants that purchased their tomatoes in the larger containers; and (3) a total of 78 percent of prepackaged tomatoes purchased in retail stores were imperfect, 37 percent were pressure bruised, and 13 percent were in an unsalable condition. It is evident, therefore, that further increases in the efficiency of prepackaging tomatoes should not be achieved at the expense of rougher handling of the tomatoes, which might cause greater deterioration in their average quality.