Free quality inspection app
Free quality inspection app for fruit and vegetables, food products, food service, and wholesale / import / export of fresh produce.
Free quality inspection app: Fresh produce quality inspection app for fruit & vegetable packers
View Fresh Produce Traceability Requirements Specifications for Fruit & Vegetables
The Producepak Quality Control app delivers easy to use quality inspection for food manufacturer, food service companies, and fresh produce packers.
7. Genetics: When developing new cultivars and selecting for post-harvest quality traits, horticulturists measure quality since plant genetics can control several internal physiological and sensory characteristics.
8. Government control: Governments can set standards for quality, which must be fulfilled, especially in the import and export of fruits in global supply chains.
Figure 1: Fruits at a farmers’ market must be protected from heat and wind to prevent quality loss. ( Image credits: Pixbay)
The Importance of Ethylene (C2H4) in Climacteric Fruits
Ethylene is present in all plants, and while not all fruits need ethylene for ripening, the compound influences many physiological processes. Aside from ripening, ethylene influences germination, sprouting, root development, stem elongation, and leaf and flower abscission.
In terms of ethylene ripening, during fruit development fruit cells increase in number. These cells act as sinks for starches and sugars produced during photosynthesis.
In climacteric fruits specifically, starches are stored during maturation. At the completion of this phase, the fruits produce ethylene, triggering ripening to change starch to sugars. Therefore, climacteric fruits are known as ethylene producers.
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Quality inspection of fresh produce is associated with changes in texture, flavor, taste, and color of fruits. During this phase, an increase in respiration also occurs, which leads to the breakdown of stored sugars.
By controlling the amounts of ethylene present in the post-harvest environment, the rate of ripening can adjusted. Often, this ethylene control and monitoring is used in the transport and storage of climacteric fruits. They are harvested when they are mature, but still hard and not yet ready for retail sale. Due to bruising resistance and storage feasibility, is the ideal for fruit to be transported. Later, when they are ripe, they are soft and require more care during handling to avoid damage.
Various methods are used monitor and control ethylene levels in fruit storage. When necessary, the fruits can be ripened later by external application of ethylene so that they are ready for retail.
Several common ethylene-producing fruits are listed below.
* Apple
* Apricot
* Avocado
* Banana
* Mango
* Cantaloupe
* Pear
* Peach
* Plum
* Potato
* Tomato
The Importance of Ethylene (C2H4) in Non-Climacteric Fruits
Non-climacteric fruits are influenced by a host of different hormones, such as auxins, acid (ABA), gibberellins (Gas), and (BRs). These hormones, among others, ripen non-climacteric fruits until harvest, but little-to-no ripening is seen after this point.
While ethylene is not responsible for the ripening process in non-climacteric fruits, all plants are influenced by ethylene, so some non-climacteric fruits will rapidly age and rot given external over-application of ethylene. Several of these ethylene-sensitive fruits are listed below.
* Asparagus
* Broccoli
* Brussels sprouts
* Carrots
* Cauliflower
* Cucumbers
* Eggplants
* Green beans
* Kale
* Lettuce and other greens
* Onions
* Parsley
* Peas
* Peppers
* Summer squash
* Sweet potatoes
* Watermelon
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When and Where Fruit & Vegetable Quality Inspection is Necessary
A few critical stages of the supply chain require quality control inspections. These inspections and their reasonings are detailed below.
Quality Inspection on-site or on Farm:
Quality control starts while fruit develops to determine optimal harvest time based on fruit maturity or ripeness. After harvest, the first sorting of fruits occurs on the farm based on ripeness level to extend storage and shelf life. Fruits are segregated at this point for table use or processing, depending on quality.
Quality inspection during the packing process:
Wholesalers who buy fruits from farmers will also test the quality of fresh produce for sorting before packaging. If specialized MAP and intelligent packaging are used, the atmosphere makeup must also be tested. These often test for critical ethylene, CO2, and O2 levels.
Storage and transport: Fruits can be sold immediately in farmers’ markets where the grower must ensure that sun and wind do not negatively impact the fruit quality, see Figure 1. Fruits kept in cold storage and controlled conditions require periodic quality control to cull out rotten fruits or sort out fruits ready for sale during storage and transport. Ethylene monitoring and scrubbing is also critical here, most often to delay ripening of climacteric fruits.
Ripening rooms: Several varieties of climacteric fruits stored for many weeks or months are ripened artificially with ethylene. The atmosphere in these ripening rooms is monitored strictly to achieve desired results within a set time.
Retailers: Once the harvest reaches retailers, quality testing helps set the price and cull out spoiled fruit to avoid ethylene-induced ripening.
Research: Many of today’s innovations target fruit quality maintenance, beginning with the research phase in universities and crop breeding centers.
Point of entry: In the case of global supply chains, fruit quality is tested to affirm standards, geographical origin for products like coffee, or identity of protected varieties at the point of entry into a country.
What Parameters should be Monitored during Quality Control?
The parameters measured during quality control will depend on the aim of the inspection. Usually, more than one parameter is used to achieve a comprehensive analysis of fruit condition.
1. Internal quality parameters: Several internal biochemical parameters determine fruit quality, such as dry matter content, soluble solids content (SSC), firmness, internal and external color, acidity, and nutraceutical content. These cannot be tested accurately with the eye, nose, or taste. Even analysis of sensory parameters like color and firmness are more accurate and objective when measured by precision devices.
Dry matter, SSC, exterior color, and firmness of fruits are all used to fix harvest time. Testing of these parameters also occurs to sort fruits during packaging, storage, transport, and retailing. Acidity and nutraceutical measurements are more often performed during research, in combination with the other parameters. Acidity is also monitored during the processing of fruits to make juices, jams, or wines.
2. Gas analysis: Ethylene, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are the three critical gases that are monitored. They have to be at optimal prescribed levels during storage and transport. The levels and combinations can differ based on the fruit. Regular checks and sorting of fruits based on ethylene levels are essential during transport, storage, and retail sale. Ripening gas and headspace analysis is vital for MAP and intelligent packaging during packing, storage, transportation, and retailing. Gas analysis in storage environments and packaging is essential during research to suggest new methods of extending the shelf life of fruits.
3. Weather parameters: Temperature and relative humidity need to be measured during storage, transport, and retailing to retain quality.