Food science articles
How to Improve Mango Quality: Latest Research Findings from 2023
Research on mango in 2023 focuses on finetuning available information, whether postharvest treatment or optimizing chemometric models. Studies are increasingly focused on investigating underlying enzyme activity and gene expressions to find why and how observed quality changes occur. The emphasis is on optimizing quality not just for profits but also to make food production more… Continue reading…
Fruit Cuticle Impact on Postharvest Quality: What You Need to Know
The cuticle is crucial in the postharvest stages as it is the interface between fruits and external biotic and abiotic conditions. Cuticle impact on postharvest quality has several protective functions and is a barrier to water loss, mechanical injuries, UV light, and pest and microbial attacks. It can also alter postharvest fruit firmness and appearance.… Continue reading…
Understanding Fresh Produce Spoilage: Five Causes and Prevention
Various reasons are behind the fresh produce spoilage of the vast diversity of fruits and vegetables. Respiration, transpiration, microbial growth, damage and injury, and internal degradation are common causes. Product-specific temperature thresholds, relative humidity, ethylene, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are the five ambient conditions that determine the spoilage rate. Controlling ambient conditions helps to reduce… Continue reading…
Enhancing Avocado Quality: Comprehensive Insights into Production and Postharvest Techniques
Scientists are trying to optimize growing conditions, such as tree density and pollinator numbers, for better avocado quality. Studies also focus on the factors that will influence storage conditions. Country of origin emerges as a crucial factor, along with variety, in determining optimum temperatures. Multivariate models are recommended to reduce ripening heterogeneity in the supply… Continue reading…
How to Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh Produce: Innovations in Gas Monitoring and Controlled Atmospheres
Extend the shelf life of fresh produce: Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene are monitored in all postharvest stages, including controlled atmosphere storage and transport facilities and modified atmosphere packaging. Ethylene is monitored to manage and maintain fresh produce quality, ripeness, and shelf life by detecting ethylene accumulation hotspots. Oxygen and carbon dioxide estimation helps to… Continue reading…
Carbon Dioxide Technology in Food Preservation: Extending Shelf Life and Ensuring Safety
Carbon dioxide technology in food preservation lowers fruit respiration rate to maintain quality and extend marketing time. CO2 antimicrobial properties make food safe to meet consumer demands and protect crop yields. Carbon dioxide technology is useful during transportation, storage, and retailing. The food supply chain uses many strategies to increase food production, extend fresh produce… Continue reading…
Application of Handheld Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) as a Portable Phenotyping Tool in Horticultural and Agronomic Breeding Programs
By Galen George, Director of Applied Science at Felix Instruments. Introduction Plant breeding stands as a cornerstone of horticulture and agronomy, disciplines vital for the sustainability and advancement of agriculture worldwide. This scientific practice, which involves the selective crossing of plants to produce new cultivars with desirable traits, is fundamental in addressing the multifaceted challenges… Continue reading…
How Fresh Produce Quality Control Meters Save Money By Reducing Loss and Time
Perishable fresh produce is the food group with the most significant loss. Preharvest and postharvest quality monitoring can control quality to reduce losses at critical points in the supply chain. User-friendly precision quality meters based on near-infrared spectroscopy cut analysis time and give objective, accurate results to reduce working time. The fresh produce supply chain… Continue reading…
How to Improve Post-harvest Quality in Fresh Produce
Factors affecting post-harvest quality are determined by harvest time, method, and fresh produce maturity. Subsequent postharvest handling during precooling, sorting, grading, packaging, storage, and transport conditions will also influence fresh produce quality and marketing time. Significant differences exist in postharvest technology between developing and developed countries. Fresh produce is highly perishable and suffers from physical… Continue reading…
How to Test Pre-harvest Quality in Fresh Produce
All preharvest growing conditions and management practices affect yield and quality. Generalizations are challenging, as the same factor can have varying effects on different quality parameters of a single fruit. Recommendations for shared best practices to optimize yield and quality are given. A significant percentage of food loss is attributed to decreased yield and quality… Continue reading…