Ultrasonic technology for quality evaluation of fresh fruit and vegetables in pre- and postharvest processes

Increasing public demands for improved quality of fruit and vegetables in the fresh market and the food industry, and growers’ expectations of high prices for premium quality products, raise the necessity for fast, accurate, and objective methods for measuring and monitoring product quality along th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Postharvest biology and technology 2008-06, Vol.48 (3), p.315-330
Main Author: Mizrach, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attenuation
Biological and medical sciences
developmental stages
Firmness
Food industries
food prices
food quality
food storage
Fruit and vegetable industries
fruit crops
fruit quality
fruits (food)
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
literature reviews
measurement
new methods
nondestructive methods
plant growth
produce
Ripeness
Shelf-life
temporal variation
ultrasonics
vegetable crops
vegetables
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Summary:Increasing public demands for improved quality of fruit and vegetables in the fresh market and the food industry, and growers’ expectations of high prices for premium quality products, raise the necessity for fast, accurate, and objective methods for measuring and monitoring product quality along the chain of pre- and postharvest processes, from the field to the consumer. Ultrasound technology provides one of the foundations for a non-destructive, fast and reliable technique for correlating specific quality-related indices and characteristics of fruit and vegetables with the stages of development during growth and maturation, and in the course of storage and shelf-life, until they are ready for consumption. This review summarizes the last two decades of studies, adaptation, modification, and innovation of ultrasound technology and devices for determination of material properties of fresh fruit and vegetable tissues, in both pre- and postharvest applications. Included are descriptions of the various methods of ultrasonic measurement, the equipment, the procedures for data processing and correlating the measurements of ultrasound parameters with quality indices of fruit and vegetables in the course of the various pre- and postharvest processes. It is concluded that much progress has been made in these fields during recent years.
ISSN:0925-5214
1873-2356
DOI:10.1016/j.postharvbio.2007.10.018