Articles
Fruit Logistica 2026 Tech Talk: How to Verify Ethylene Control in Cold Storage
At Fruit Logistica 2025, we shared practical guidance on how to verify ethylene control in cold storage and retail environments. While many facilities implement abatement systems, validation is often limited to spot checks or periodic manual testing. In this session, we demonstrated why single-point measurements can miss critical exposure patterns and how continuous, real-time monitoring… Continue reading…
Additional 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…
Three Portable NIR Systems Compared: Felix Instruments, Sunforest and Rubens Technologies: Accuracy, Maintenance, and the Cost of Bad Data
When orchard managers and quality control teams evaluate handheld tools for fruit maturity and quality assessment, choosing the right portable NIR system is a critical decision. Portable NIR systems promise fast and non-destructive measurements, but the accuracy of those predictions, the ongoing maintenance requirements, and the real cost of bad data can vary dramatically between… Continue reading…
