NONDESTRUCTIVE METHODS OF EVALUATING QUALITY OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Current and new technologies are being utilized to develop better nondestructive methods for measuring fresh fruit and vegetable quality. These technologies include surface reflectance, diffuse reflectance, interactance (body transmittance), transmittance, fluorescence, delayed light emission, and imaging. These methods can be used to determine maturity, firmness, color, chemical composition, stress injury particularly due to chilling temperature, and/or defects. Effectiveness of the methods differs with technology, quality attribute, and commodity.