Optimal fruit quality in the chain and for the consumer

In the Netherlands, 40 million kilos of apples and pears, with a value of 20 million euros, are discarded every year because they have become rotten during storage or have insufficient quality for retail. In addition, much fruit is thrown away by consumers because they are disappointed by the taste. Following a disappointing purchase, consumers are less likely to purchase the same product again. The result: additional losses in supermarkets because products cannot be sold quickly enough.

Prediction method

The fruit sector would therefore benefit from a method that can predict how the quality of the fruit changes during storage. This way, the ideal retail delivery time of the fruit can be determined, and the ideal storage conditions can be chosen. This means that constant quality – with fewer losses – can be guaranteed, ultimately resulting in increased fruit consumption. Due to the global food problem, limiting food waste is becoming increasingly important.

Targets

Developing techniques to predict the storage potential of fruit at harvest, and applying these techniques in practice to:

• Prevent food waste due to storage losses and insufficient retail quality.
• Increase the consumption of fruit by offering fruit with consistently high quality.

Approach

The project consists of two components:

1. Developing detection tests for predicting fruit rot. To this end, separate tests that can be used immediately after harvest are being developed to detect various types of fruit-rot fungi. The results of the tests will be compared with the percentages of affected fruit in commercial storage. In addition, it will be determined which measures can be used to prevent fruit rot during storage.
2. Develop a taste/quality prediction model. To this end, innovative measurement methods (including non-destructive methods) will be tested during the storage of diverse batches of fruit under various commercially-relevant storage conditions.

Results

• Prediction methods for diseases affecting fruit during storage
• A sampling protocol to ensure reliable test results
• A storage protocol to keep fruit rot to a minimum
• Information about specific diseases affecting stored fruit
• Methods for predicting changes in the taste/hardness of fruit during storage
• A protocol to implement the ideal storage conditions for various batches of fruit based on a predictive measurement method
• A decision support system to assure the quality of pomaceous fruit during storage