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Wageningen out in full force at international fruit exhibition

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February 6, 2019

Wageningen University & Research is represented by several fruit experts at the international trade exhibition Fruit Logistica in Berlin. The trade exhibition attracts interested parties from all over the world, literally from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Plenty of opportunities for the WUR experts to show what the solutions developed in Wageningen can do for companies in the global fruit trade.

Janneke de Kramer talks about new robots that use advanced technology to help with the quality inspection of a crop. There will be a demonstration of the High-speed 3D inspector during Fruit Logistica. A fruit grower can detect abnormalities in food products by creating 360-degree scans with high speed cameras. These cameras are cheaper than expensive laser scanners and are suitable for a wide range of products such as potatoes, bulbs, and fruit.

Packaging and cooling

Expert Mathijs Montsma shows how the quality of fresh fruit can be kept at its optimal level and how it can be delivered to the consumer without any losses with the use of sustainable methods. It does not only depend on the temperature of storage, as packaging (or no packaging) is also an important factor. During Fruit Logistica, visitors can examine some of these innovations up close, such as the dynamic packaging material that can adjust the air permeability based on varying storage conditions. Experts will also show how the quality of fresh fruit can be measured objectively and quickly using robots and sensors.

Bananas and fungi

Gert Kema, banana expert at Wageningen University & Research, has been invited to talk about the fungi that endanger banana harvests and how Wageningen University & Research can make recommendations to large and small companies regarding how to tackle this. The solutions Kema discusses are long-term solutions, while small banana plantations also require practical short-term solutions for aggressive soil fungi at the same time.

The fruit exhibition in Berlin lasts from Wednesday 6 February until Friday 8 February. You can contact our experts for more information about Wageningen solutions.