Food science articles
Gas Analysis for Improving Flower Quality and Vase Life in Peruvian Lily
Improving the vase life and quality of flowers is vital for growers, as cut flowers have a very short postharvest life and customer treatment of the flowers once they are cut is beyond the growers’ control. However, to protect their brand name, growers can still ensure a longer flower life and better quality by using… Continue reading…
Precision Farming in 2021: What it is & why it’s changing everything in agriculture.
Producing food sustainably for an ever-increasing population is one of the greatest single challenges of our time. This challenge has been compounded in recent years by plateauing profits and production, as well as serious environmental concerns posed by traditional methodologies. Precision farming can improve both yield and profits by using fewer resources, while at the… Continue reading…
Reducing Fresh Produce Losses and Increasing Efficiency in Harvest & Post-Harvest
The United Nations urges people to cut current food loss levels in half by 2030 to improve global food security and public health. The organization suggests connecting these reductions to climate change targets and using natural resources sustainably. To achieve these aims, they advise the use of innovative new approaches and technology. State-of-the-art sensors and… Continue reading…
FedEx Small Business Grant Contest
We have entered the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest and we need your help! . The FedEx Small Business Grant recognizes innovative and passionate small businesses all over the United States who want to take their business to the next level. With your help, we will be able to do just that! Why now? We… Continue reading…
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…
