Food science articles
Photo Friday: Gas Analysis in Ghana – Helping Farmers Avoid Postharvest Losses
“Working in a remote area of Ghana, access to a versatile Portable Ethylene Gas Analyzer provided a great improvement in quality and variety of data generated in a study on shelf-life characteristics of 10 sweet potato genotypes in northern Ghana. Currently, final draft of the research is being processed. A conference paper with title “Effect… Continue reading…
INTERVIEW: Spectroscopy and Solanaceae – Rapid Phenotyping of Nightshades
Alberto De Marcos and his team at Semillas Fitó are exploring the use of NIRS to breed better varieties of seven solanaceae (nightshade) and cucurbit (gourd) crops: tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon, watermelon, zucchini, and cucumber. In our most recent interview, Application Scientist Galen George sits down with Alberto to chat about his plans to integrate… Continue reading…
Detecting Fungal Disease in the Fresh Produce Supply Chain
Ethylene produced by many fungi can cause disease in perishable fresh produce. Scientists found that this phytohormone can be used as a marker in non-destructive diagnosis for fruit disease detection of post-harvest fruits. A portable gas analyzer was used in an experiment to measure fungal ethylene in real-time. The findings from the experiment could help… Continue reading…
Measuring Maturity of Unopened Cotton Bolls with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Scientists used the portable F-750 Produce Quality Meter, an industry-standard, to test if NIR Spectroscopy can be useful in measuring the maturity of unopened cotton bolls. This was part of a series of experiments to explore a novel application of NIRS, with the potential to increase cotton yield per acre. Setting Single Harvest Date for… Continue reading…
Understanding Chemometrics for NIR Spectroscopy
Chemometrics is a multidisciplinary approach referring to the analysis of large, complex chemical data obtained from spectroscopic measurements. Chemometric tools are used in research, quality control, and in food processing. They are useful for a wide variety of professionals such as chemists, technologists, agricultural scientists, microbiologists, engineers, farmers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers. Chemometrics Defined Svente… Continue reading…
Optimizing Long-Term Potato Storage with Ethylene Measurement
Cold storage facilities aiming to reduce ethylene production and respiration rates in potatoes require considerable power consumption for cooling and ventilation. Lowering power consumption has become a major goal to bring down the costs of storage. A group of scientists who were developing the optimum method of ventilation had to monitor gas exchanges in an… Continue reading…
Spectrophotometry in 2023
Spectrophotometers have come a long way from the first model invented in 1940. Miniaturized and combined with other modern technology, these devices now have a wide range of research and practical applications in food, medical, industrial, and environmental fields. This article focuses on the reasons for the popularity of spectrophotometry techniques. Principle of Spectrophotometry Light… Continue reading…
Gas Analysis for Humane Poultry Euthanasia
On-farm euthanasia is sometimes necessary. The method for this type of euthanasia must be efficient and easy, as it is performed by a single operator. The procedure must also be humane and, in many places, it must meet stringent governmental standards. It must also meet the demands of consumers, and be sensitive to the conditions… Continue reading…
Pears and Pruning: Non-Destructive Dry Matter Measurement in Pears
Dry matter has been gaining popularity as a quality metric in fruit production to fix harvest time and predict postharvest quality and taste. There is a renewal of research in many fruits to optimize fruit quality and yield using this new metric. Though these developments, themselves, are exciting, new technologies to measure dry matter are… Continue reading…
Assessing Antioxidant Content in Tomatoes with NIR Spectroscopy
Tomatoes are laden with many healthy phytochemicals, including antioxidants, that make them a valuable food commodity. Measuring changes in the levels of phytochemicals during maturity leading to harvest and postharvest is crucial to producing nutritious tomatoes. To analyze antioxidants in the supply chain, scientists tested the effectiveness of near-infrared spectrometers to replace accurate yet laborious… Continue reading…