Applicability and limitation of “accumulated distribution temperature” as an indicator for strawberry quality control investigated by an alternative shipping export test

•Accumulated distribution temperature (ADT) as an indicator of strawberry quality.•Relationships between strawberry quality and ADT during alternative shipping export.•ADT, package type, harvest season affect dispersion pattern of damage area on fruit.•Damage area and mold incidence are highly related at the same ADT.•Quality control using ADT should be considered packaging type and harvest season. Strawberry is distributed worldwide. Quality changes in fresh produce have been assessed based on the accumulated storage temperature under laboratory conditions. However, the applicability of this approach in an actual distribution test has not been investigated. This study assessed the relationships among strawberry quality (damage area and mold incidence), accumulated distribution temperature (ADT), packaging types, harvest season and dispersion using sea transport and storage (display) test, assuming an alternative shipping export. The trends in the changes of the dispersion of the damage area on the strawberry surface during the distribution varied according to harvest season and package type. The area of damage of the fruits significantly increased with the ADT and depended on harvest season, although this increase could be inhibited using a suspended plastic tray. The average damage area differed between approximately 13 % and 40 % depending on the distribution conditions. A high coefficient of determination was obtained between the damaged area and mold incidence in strawberries when ADT values were also considered (R2 = 0.95). Overall, this study revealed the ADT might partially estimate the strawberry quality via an alternative export test, including extend of the damage area and mold incidence during display; however, both harvest season and packaging type should be considered. The findings can assist in the safe export of strawberries and in reducing food loss and waste.