NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Technology
North Carolina Research Campus
Kannapolis, North Carolina

What is Post-Harvest Technology?

Post-harvest technologies constitute an inter-disciplinary Science and Techniques applied to agricultural
commodities after harvest for the purpose of preservation, conservation, quality control/enhancement,
processing, packaging, storage, distribution, marketing, and utilization to meet the food and nutritional
requirements of consumers in relation to their needs. Post-harvest technology stimulates agricultural production, prevents post-harvest losses, improves nutrition and adds value to agricultural products thereby
opening new marketing opportunities and generating new jobs while stimulating growth of other related
economic sectors. The process developing post-harvest technologies requires an interdisciplinary and multidimensional research approach, which includes scientific creativity, technological innovation, commercial
entrepreneurship and stakeholder inputs.

What is the North Carolina Research Campus?

The North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC), located in Kannapolis, N.C., is certain to be one of the
most advanced biotechnology facilities of its type in the world. The $1 billion facility is being built on a
350-acre campus, site of the former Cannon Mills. The NCRC plans to combine the research power of the
University of North Carolina and Duke universities, cutting-edge training from the state’s community
colleges and the know-how of private enterprises to create an exceptional biotech hub. North Carolina
ranks third in the nation behind California and Massachusetts in the $30 billion-a-year field of biotechnology.
As the NCRC develops, David H. Murdock, the Center’s founder, hopes to raise North Carolina to
number two with the addition of about 100 – 200 biotech companies and the creation of approximately
35,000 jobs.

What role will N.C. A&T Play at NCRC?

N.C. A&T will operate The Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Technology (COEPHT) in NCRC. The COEPHT’s primary
focus is to provide an infrastructure for multidisciplinary research programs for post-harvest technologies
with focus on fruits and vegetables. COEPHT was established to play a lead role in using science to develop
appropriate, need-based and cost-effective post-harvest technologies for North Carolina crops and to address
related food sciences nutrition and health issues. These include processing and preservation, storage stability,
safety and quality, composition, recovery and identification of bioactive compounds for health applications,
product development, consumer research and value-added processing.

Mission

The Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Technology will create synergistic collaborations with other partners within the
North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) to enable breakthroughs in science that generate new knowledge
which results in creating new jobs and improved quality of life for citizens in North Carolina and the
nation.

Vision

The Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Technology will become a premier center of excellence in post-harvest technology
research through development of effective and cost-attractive post-harvest technologies for agricultural
commodities, particularly fruits and vegetables. The Center will ensure adoption of research discoveries by
end users to meet their needs in diverse areas of post-harvest technologies including quality and nutritional
value, value-added processing, food safety and economic aspects.

COEPHT Major Focus Areas

Research

COEPHT will foster interdisciplinary research in diverse post-harvest including:
• Health-promoting food components from fruits and vegetables
Isolation and characterization of bio-active compounds
Development and testing of functional foods
• Food safety issues
Development of rapid and effective methods to control spoilage and pathogenic bacteria
Safe minimal processing methods to inactivate pathogens and eliminate other contaminants
• Storage stability related to shelf-life and quality
Development of new technologies for predicting and extending shelf-life and quality
Evaluation/minimization of the effect of storage and processing conditions on nutrients and bioactive
compounds
• Value-added product development for food and non-food products
Development of new and value-added food and non-food uses

Experiential Learning/Training

COEPHT will provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and training of young scientists on cutting-
edge science and technologies for enhanced competitiveness in the job market. Students and professionals
will have the opportunity to engage in applied research projects as part of their academic/
professional training at N.C. A&T and acquire hands-on experiences in pertinent aspects of post-harvest
technologies.

Outreach

COEPHT will facilitate transfer of discoveries in post-harvest technologies to end users and actively seek science-
based solutions to post-harvest issues facing growers, processors, distributors and consumers of agricultural
commodities. To achieve this, COEPHT will provide:
Seminars, short courses, and print materials

Short courses, for the benefit of small scale fruit and vegetable processors and handlers, will include
such topics as fruit beverages, fruit and vegetable processing, fruit and vegetable drying, control
of physiological post-harvest quality deterioration, adequate storage (e.g., packaging, temperature
control, insect control, etc), and other post-harvest factors affecting produce quality and safety
(e.g., control of biological and chemical hazards).

Consultancy, advisory, and contract research

Technical assistance on specific post-harvest issues relating to any aspect of product development,
process optimization of fruits and vegetables, food safety, quality assurance, and value-added processing
will be available.

Analytical and Diagnostic Services

Diagnostics on post-harvest physiological quality deteriorations which may occur during harvesting,
packaging, storage, transportation and distribution will be provided. In addition, analytical
services such as nutritional content (including functional and bioactive components), proximate
composition, elemental and trace element testing, microbiological and chemical safety tests, and
other produce specific tests including sulfur dioxide in dried fruits, color measurements, texture
profile and textural characteristics, sugar profiles, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, pH, glycerol,
ascorbic acid, water activity (aw), ethylene, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and maturity tests will be
provided.

For additional information, contact: Dr. C.W. Seo or Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna at 704-250-5700 or email at seoc@ncat.edu or Ahmedna@ncat.edu.

The School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences         www.ag.ncat.edu