Articles
From the Stage at Fruit Logistica 2026: Rethinking Freshness with 500,000 Data Points
At Fruit Logistica Berlin 2026, we presented insights from more than 500,000 non-destructive fruit quality scans collected across global growing regions, multiple seasons, and every stage of the supply chain. What this dataset reveals is simple but consequential: most quality control systems are built around averages, while the real economic damage comes from the extremes.… Continue reading…
Additional reading
Felix Instruments vs Sunforest vs Rubens Technologies: Which NIR Meter Rules Postharvest Dry Matter Testing?
Dry matter testing is a cornerstone of postharvest quality management. Accurate dry matter measurement helps growers and packers make confident decisions on harvest timing, fruit handling, and market destination. With postharvest dry matter testing at the heart of many supply chain decisions, choosing the right near-infrared (NIR) tool can directly impact efficiency and profitability. In… Continue reading…
Which NIR Device Wins on ROI? Comparing Felix F-751, Rubens Technologies, and Sunforest for Packinghouses
For modern packinghouses, ROI on NIR devices is no longer a theoretical discussion. Near-infrared spectroscopy has become a practical tool for improving quality consistency, reducing waste, and making faster decisions across harvest, packing, and shipping. When managers evaluate ROI on NIR systems, they look beyond the initial purchase price and focus on accuracy, repeatability, calibration… Continue reading…
Calibration Battle: How Felix, Rubens, and Sunforest Handle Multi-Crop Predictive Models
In produce quality measurement, hardware differences are narrowing. Detectors, light sources, and form factors across NIR and gas analysis tools are increasingly similar. What separates instruments in day-to-day use is calibration. More specifically, it is how companies design, maintain, and communicate multi-crop predictive models. This article compares how Felix Instruments, Rubens, and Sunforest approach calibration,… Continue reading…
Data Repeatability Under Pressure: F-751 vs Sunforest vs Rubens Compared on Real Fruit Lots
Data repeatability under pressure is one of those topics that only becomes urgent when results start drifting. In real fruit lots, pressure comes from uneven maturity, temperature swings, operator fatigue, and the simple reality that fruit is never uniform. This is where handheld NIR tools are either trusted or sidelined. In this article, we compare… Continue reading…
Spectral Science vs Shortcut Sensors: Why the F-751 Series Outperforms Rubens and Sunforest in Accuracy and Longevity
Produce quality measurement has become a central part of modern fruit handling, from orchard decisions to packhouse sorting and postharvest storage. As pressure increases to reduce waste while delivering consistent eating quality, handheld tools are no longer a nice-to-have. They are operational infrastructure. The challenge is choosing between instruments built on real spectral science and… Continue reading…
F-750, Rubens, or Sunforest: Which NIR Tool Actually Matches Lab Results?
When growers, packers, and quality control teams assess fruit maturity and internal quality, many are turning to NIR tools as alternatives to time consuming destructive testing. In this article we compare three leading near infrared systems, the F-750 from Felix Instruments, the Rubens handheld sensor, and the Sunforest H-100 series, to help you understand how… Continue reading…
