Quality Damage and Control Measures of Macadamia Nuts During Primary Processing

Abstract

In Yunnan, the main production area in China, about 90% of the macadamia nut products are sawn nut in shell. Macadamia nut production is based on primary processing; however, product quality is highly susceptible to damage during this stage, causing significant economic losses to both growers and processors. Therefore, identifying damage and proposing control measures are necessary to extend shelf life and reduce financial losses. This paper reviews the quality problems of macadamia nuts during primary processing such as harvesting, dehusking, drying, cracking, roasting, packaging, and storage, which can be categorized as physical damage, altered chemical composition, and microbial infection. Product quality is mainly affected by intrinsic factors, processing steps, and environmental conditions. Based on an extensive analysis of existing research results, we summarize the beneficial measures that can be taken in the key primary processing stages of macadamia nuts and the application of real-time quality monitoring technologies. This realization will not only provide a reference for further research on processing improvement and quality control but will also promote the healthy and sustainable development of the macadamia nut industry.