Articles
Major Causes of Postharvest Decline in Fresh Produce
The main causes for postharvest decline in fresh produce are mechanical damage, respiration, transpiration, ethylene, and senescence. The importance of each cause varies across classes of fresh produce, including root vegetables, leafy vegetables, flower vegetables, immature fruit vegetables, and mature fruits. Adequate technology adoption can significantly reduce postharvest decline. Around 40-50% of fruits and vegetables… Continue reading…
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Truth About Calibration: Why Factory Settings Aren’t Forever
When you first power on a new instrument, it is easy to assume the factory settings will hold steady for years. In reality, gas analyzer calibration is not a one time event. It is an ongoing process that directly affects data integrity, storage decisions, and ultimately profitability. In postharvest environments where small shifts in oxygen,… Continue reading…
Myth: You Can Tell Ripeness by Color Alone
In produce operations, the idea that you can determine fruit ripeness by color alone is persistent. It sounds practical. Walk a field or a packing line, look for the right shade, and make a decision. But when fruit ripeness testing becomes critical to quality control, color quickly shows its limits. If you rely on visual… Continue reading…
Truth About Portable Gas Sensors in Cold Storage: Condensation Isn’t Harmless
Cold storage environments are tough on equipment. Anyone who has worked in produce storage rooms, ripening facilities, or distribution centers knows that temperature swings and high humidity are part of the job. Portable gas sensors for cold storage are often treated as rugged tools that can handle it all. But there is one factor that… Continue reading…
Myth: NIR Devices Work the Same on All Cultivars
Near-infrared fruit analysis is widely used across the produce industry, but a persistent myth still circulates: that one NIR model works the same on every cultivar. The truth is that cultivar differences directly impact NIR calibration accuracy, and ignoring that reality leads to inconsistent data and poor decisions. If you rely on NIR devices for… Continue reading…
Truth About Multi-Gas Monitors: When Extra Sensors Add Noise
The conversation around multi-gas monitors often centers on one assumption: more sensors equal better data. In controlled atmosphere storage, ripening rooms, and produce research, that sounds reasonable. But in practice, multi-gas monitors can introduce complexity, cross-interference, and calibration drift that compromise accuracy. When extra sensors add noise instead of clarity, the result is slower decisions… Continue reading…
Myth: Data Logging Is Optional—It’s Not if You Want Compliance
In food storage, ripening, and controlled atmosphere management, there is a persistent myth that data logging is optional. Teams often assume that if they can spot check gas levels with a handheld unit, that is enough. It is not. If you care about gas analyzer compliance, continuous and reliable data logging is part of the… Continue reading…
