Food science articles

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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…

What You Need to Know About AI in Agriculture

AI, in combination with other technologies, is solving several modern problems caused and faced by industrial agriculture. AI applications are increasingly used in agriculture for soil and crop monitoring, farm operations, farm management, supply of food, and crop research. AI solutions in agriculture can improve productivity with less resource use and reduce environmental impacts. Integrating… Continue reading…

Maximizing Agricultural Quality and Efficiency: The Comprehensive Guide to Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) Applications

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is used preharvest for maturity estimation, nutrient and water management, and biological stress detection. In the post-harvest stage, NIRS is used for shelf life assessment, defects and disease detection, process monitoring, sorting, packaging, retailing, and authentication. Portable NIRS devices are seeing the most development for commercial use. The good fresh produce qualities… Continue reading…

FDA’s New Final Food Product Traceability Rule: FSMA 204 Explained

Traceability is a critical aspect of modern food supply chain management, contributing to food safety, quality assurance, and the overall integrity of the food industry. The Final Rule of the FSMA 204 focuses on detailed and rapid communication of information on food products on the Food Traceability List to trace and remove unsafe food. The… Continue reading…