Applying non-destructive sensors to improve fresh fruit consumer satisfaction and increase consumption

Abstract

Fruits are an important component of our diet and fruit consumption is associated with reduced and/or delayed onset of major diseases including Alzheimer's, cancer, and obesity. Despite the benefits for human health, fruit consumption is not increasing and in some cases, is even decreasing. We propose to increase fresh fruit consumption by determining an ideal picking date, use of ripening programs, and developmental stage and then enforcing a minimum quality index (MQI) based on flavor quality attributes to assure an acceptable flavor experience to consumers. Because of recent advances in new, nondestructive sensor technologies, there is high interest in using nondestructive sensors (either in a handheld portable unit and/or inline) to segregate fruit according to potential consumer acceptance. The use of nondestructive sensors to segregate fruit based on parameters such as firmness and pigmentation as an index of maturation and ripening is reviewed here. Using sensory techniques (trained panels and in-store consumer tests), MQIs based on ripe soluble solids concentration (RSSC) for cherries, plums, nectarines, and peaches and based on dry matter (DM) for kiwifruit and mangos are being proposed. An accurate determination of picking date will reduce losses and assure that a large fraction of the crop is in the acceptable category. In some cases, segregation into groups with specific flavor quality attributes could warrant a premium that would justify the extra cost of using any new nondestructive sensor technology, but their performance should be tested under commercial conditions before marketing. This article seeks to explain postharvest physiology concepts and explore potential applications for nondestructive sensors in postharvest commercial operations. What is Physiological Maturity? In postharvest physiology, physiological maturity can be defined as "that stage at which a commodity has reached a sufficient stage of development that after harvesting (detached) and postharvest handling, its will ripen by itself to a degree that is at least minimally acceptable to the ultimate consumer." Maturation is the stage of development leading up to the attainment of

Potential uses of LF‐NMR and MRI in the study of water dynamics and quality measurement of fruits and vegetables

“…In this regard, various nondestructive methods have been developed to evaluate quality by detecting the different physical properties which correlate well with specific product factors. Nonetheless, factors of innate quality such as nutritional quality, chemical quality, sensory quality including acidity, maturity, firmness, texture, sugar content, and taste of fruits and vegetables are all closely related to water dynamics, thus influence their havest time, storage, shelf life, and packaging (Crisosto, Crisosto, & Bermejo, ) (Figure ).…”

Management Information Systems for Tree Fruit–2: Design of a Mango Harvest Forecast Engine

“…However, skin color is not a reliable index for the mango cultivars of commercial relevance in Australia, which can have a well-developed 'blush' (skin color) by the time of harvest. Flesh color is a definitive index of fruit maturity, but assessment is destructive of the fruit, effectively limiting the number of fruit that can be sampled [24].…”

“…To operationalize a harvest forecast MIS (Figure 9), consideration is required of how data (spatial and nonspatial) are to be stored, managed, and transferred between the different components of the MIS [23,24], and how data are best visualized, e.g., as tables, graphs, or maps, to inform decision making. As reviewed in [1], the evolution of farm MISs has seen a progression from 'stand-alone' desktop applications to cloud-based applications with mobile-device accessibility.…”

Food Quality and Safety: Advances in Analytical Methods and Applications

“…In addition, awareness of the contribution of nutrition to the overall health of individuals is a driving force for new studies that encourage integrated approaches, e.g., foodomics [35], or non-destructive tools to improve consumer well-being, health [36], education and confidence [37][38][39][40].…”