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CORDIS Database: RESULTS
Procedure to measure chilling injury in tomatoes Record Control Number : 23214 Quality Validation Date : 1999-10-12 Update Date : 1999-10-12 Abstract : Chilling injury is a disorder which develops in tomatoes and other fruits under low temperature storage conditions (but above freezing temperatures) . The critical temperature below which injury occurs may range from just above the freezing point of the tissue to 10-12°C. Chilling injury is characterised by the development of a mealy texture, accelerated softening relative to that of non-chilled fruits and non-uniform surface colour development. A method was developed to measure chilling injury in tomatoes in a destructive way. The method is based on the propagation of ultrasound in the fruit. The sound velocity but particularly the attenuation has been found to be useful as a measure of chilling injury. The technique can be used by horticultural auctions, commercial cool stores and retail organisations to measure temperature abuse in the cold chain and its effect on texture properties of tomatoes. Innovative Aspects : A large collaborative experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of storage conditions and harvesting colour on several texture quality parameters of tomatoes. Hereto tomatoes of the cultivar Tradiro were harvested at two colour stages, and stored at 4 different storage temperatures. 9 times during the storage period samples were analysed. Sensory analysis of the tomatoes at the IFR indicated that the tomatoes stored at 3°C for 3 weeks suffered from chilling injury and became mealy; other temperatures lead to decrease in firmness only. The ultrasonic test was performed with a low frequency system (USD10NF, Krautkrämer, Köln) . Two exponential probes with a frequency of 50kHz were used. The measurement was carried out with the true transmission mode. This means that one probes acts as a sender and the other as the receiver of the signal. This is opposite to the reflection mode were one probe is used as sender and receiver and the signal is reflected in the fruit. The probes were placed under an angle of 55°. The distance between the two exponential ends of the probes was 10 mm. The tomato was positioned on the probes by pressing the two ends of the probes over a short distance in the tomato. The purpose of the test was to measure the characteristics of the tomato flesh so it was important not to press the probes to far in the tomato. There was a significant effect on the ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics (attenuation and damping) . Damping in particular seemed to be closely related to mealiness. Subject Descriptors : Agriculture Subject Index Codes : Agriculture Market Applications : Horticulture Stage of Development : Intermediate design, research phase Stage Description : The proof of principle was shown for tomatoes cv Tradiro. Additional tests must be carried out to evaluate the potential for other commercial varieties. This involves storing batches of tomatoes for varying times in different storage conditions including low temperatures. The velocity and attenuation of ultrasound waves should be measured on every tomato. The results must be processed by means of linear discriminant techniques. Collaboration Sought : Further research or development support, Information exchange Collaboration Detail : The technique can be used by horticultural auctions, commercial cool stores and retail organisations to measure temperature abuse in the cold chain and its effect on texture properties of tomatoes. Sources of Support : CEC, National, Industry Programmes : FAIR Contact Details Contact Name : NICOLAï, Bart B M (Professor) Position : Professor Department : Agrotechniek en -Economie Laboratory for Postharvest Technology Contact Organisation : Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Address : De Croylaan 42 City : Heverlee Region : VLAAMS GEWEST VLAAMS BRABANT Leuven Postcode : B-3000 Country : BELGIUM Telephone Number : +32-16-322375 Fax Number : +32-16-322955 Electronic Mailbox : bart.nicolai@agr.kuleuven.ac.be -------------------------------------------------------------------CORDIS Database: RESULTS
Accelerated test to develop and measure mealiness in apples and peaches Record Control Number : 23213 Quality Validation Date : 1999-10-12 Update Date : 1999-10-12 Abstract : A procedure has been developed to generate mealy fruits. It can be used as a tool to generate fruits of different degrees of mealiness for research purposes, or as an accelerated procedure to evaluate the mealiness of a batch of fruits. A destructive method has been developed to measure mealiness in apples and peaches. The method is based on a measurement of juiciness and hardness based on a confined compression test, and on a measurement of crispiness using a shear rupture test. A scale which converts the instrument readings into a mealiness reading has been developed for several apple and peach varieties. In the accelerated test, fruits are kept in mealiness inducing conditions for a specified time, and subsequently the mealiness degree is measured. In this way the overall susceptibility of a batch of fruits to mealiness can be assessed. Innovative Aspects : To create mealy apples, the fruits can be stored in air at 20°C and 80% RH during several weeks. If the RH is higher (e.g., 95%) , physiological decay may affect a large part of the fruits. Instead of a cool room, also perforated sealed PE bags may be used. By storing the fruits for different time periods, different degrees of mealiness can be achieved as shown by taste panels in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands (attributes "floury", "granular" and "pulpy" or equivalent in other languages) . For peaches, the protocol consists of storing the fruits at 5°C in air for about 2-3 weeks. A combination of Instrumental crispiness, hardness and juiciness is proposed for the identification of mealy fruits. These textural attributes assessed by instrumental means are used to generate an instrumental mealiness scale which has been optimised, including the non-linear relationship between sensory hardness and floury descriptors. Other techniques (electrical impedance, ultrasonic wave propagation) were not successful. It was, however, possible to discriminate between mealy and non mealy fruits based on features of NMR images. The technique seems to be too expensive for commercial exploitation. Subject Descriptors : Agriculture Subject Index Codes : Agriculture Market Applications : Foods, drinks, Horticulture, Physiological monitoring Stage of Development : Tested, available for demonstration Stage Description : The procedure is ready to be used by commercial cool store operators as an accelerated test to assess susceptibility for mealiness of batches of fruits, and by researchers as a protocol to generate and measure mealy fruits. Those cool store operators with Quality Department may be also ready to acquire this technology for instrumental assessment of mealiness. Consultancy Details : The methodology is ready for implementation. Some finetuning of the scale for different varieties than those considered in the project might be required. Collaboration Sought : Further research or development support, Financial resources, Information exchange Collaboration Detail : The partners can assist commercial cool stores in implementing the methodology. For the procedure go generate mealy apples and fruits, no special facilities are required. For the measurements, a universal testing machine is required with appropriate accessories (estimated cost: 30 000 Euro) . Simplified low cost devices might be constructed by specialised companies, but this is not aimed for at this stage. The methodology as such is ready for implementation and requires no further development besides validation for different apple varieties. Sources of Support : CEC Programmes : FAIR Contact Details Contact Name : RUIZ-ALTISENT, Margarita M (Professor) Position : Professor Department : Escuela T.S. de Ingenieros Agrónomos Lab. de Propiedades Físicas de Productos Agrícolas, Contact Organisation : Universidad Politecnica de Madrid City : Madrid, España Region : COMUNIDAD DE MADRID Postcode : 28040 Country : SPAIN Telephone Number : +34-1-3365855 Fax Number : +34-1-3365845 Electronic Mailbox : mruiz@iru.etsia.upm.es --------------------------------------------------------------------------CORDIS Database: RESULTS
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for the evaluation of fruit and vegetables internal quality Record Control Number : 23225 Quality Validation Date : 1999-10-20 Update Date : 1999-10-20 Abstract : Over the past decades consumers have become more demanding about the quality of food and of fresh horticultural products in particular. Supermarket buyers are increasingly measuring quality of fruits and vegetables against objective quality criteria that often require destructive testing. Thus non-invasive means for the assessment of fruit quality are becoming more and more of interest. Accordingly, time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (TDRS) was applied for the first time to evaluate internal fruit quality. This technique, developed in the biomedical field, allows the complete non-destructive optical characterization of diffusive media, such as biological tissues. It provides information on the constituents of the probed medium such as chlorophyll and sugars, and on aspects of its microscopic structure such as texture and fiber content through the evaluation of the absorption and scattering coefficients, respectively. Key achievements of the Project included the construction of a large laboratory facility and a compact prototype for TDRS measurements. The laboratory instrumentation allows the non-invasive fully automated optical characterization of diffusive media over a wide spectral range in the visible and near infrared, and was used effectively to measure - for the first time - the absorption and scattering spectra of intact fruits and vegetables. This led to the development of a portable prototype working at selected wavelengths, and easily operated by non-expert personnel. Both systems were used to investigate the relationships between optical TDRS data and standard quality related parameters in kiwifruit, tomato, apple, peach, nectarine and melon. Models to determine firmness, sugar and acid contents were built using sequential statistical techniques: principal component analysis, stepwise multiple linear regression, clustering and discriminant analysis. Classification models were developed to sort apples, peaches, kiwifruits and tomatoes into three quality grades (high, medium and low) , according to their optical properties. Overall, a minimum score of 75% of well classified fruits was achieved. The TDRS technique and associated instruments has potential application in research by universities and research institutes and, pending further development, application to the horticultural industries for the monitoring and control of product quality. Innovative Aspects : - establishing the links between optical properties (absorption and scattering coefficients) and internal quality of fruits (stage of ripening, sugar content, acidity, firmness, etc.) ; - development of a simple instrumentation, based on TDRS, able to determine the quality of fruit and/or vegetables. The instrument will be designed so that it can be used by personnel with no previous skill in laser operation and spectroscopy and it will be supplied with software and/or hardware developed to provide a correct interpretation of experimental data and to relate the signal to food quality characteristics. Subject Descriptors : Quality assurance, control, Inspection, testing, Laser technology, Food science, Agriculture Subject Index Codes : Measurement Methods, Other Technology, Food, Agriculture Market Applications : Food products (animal, human) , Instruments, measuring equipment, Optical, photographic equipment, Laboratory equipment, Foods, drinks Stage of Development : Tested, available for demonstration Property Rights : Partnership/other contractual agreement(s) Collaboration Sought : Further research or development support, Joint venture agreement, Licence agreement, Marketing agreement, Manufacturing agreement, Financial resources, Information exchange Sources of Support : CEC Programmes : FAIR Projects : FAIR961060 Project Title : DIFFUSE REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY FOR THE EVALUATION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES INTERNAL QUALITY Contact Details Contact Name : ZAROTTI, Claudio (Dr. Eng) Position : General Manager Contact Organisation : VELA sri Address : Viale Teodorico, 2 City : MILANO Region : LOMBARDIA Postcode : 20149 Country : ITALY Telephone Number : +39-0232-4879 Fax Number : +39-0232-4879 Electronic Mailbox : Velasrl@tin.itCORDIS Database: PARTNERS
Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation Record Control Number : 49523 Quality Validation Date : 1999-06-16 Update Date : 1999-08-26 Remarks : OTT-99/06 Name : Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation Address : Wiedner Hauptstrasse 76 City : Wien PostCode : 1040 Region : OSTÖSTERREICH WIEN Country : AUSTRIA Type : Research, Education Number of Employees : 10 - 49 Subject Details : Research on materials of works of art: mineral building materials, copper alloys, ceramics, painting materials, textile dyes. - Research in scientific aspects of conservation. - Two EU RTD projects: baroque artificial marble; corrosion of copper alloys - Two RAPHAEL-projects and one EUREKA-EUROCARE project in the field of façade materials in turn-of-century architecture Collaboration Title : Nondestructive sensor for polymer coatings on glass (GLASSCOAT) Type Details : Innovative Aspects: 1. to plan the coatings and cleaning intervals 2. to measure the quality of glass plates to be mounted and thereby improve the characteristics of the coating (thickness, adhesion) 3. to obtain (already during the project- but also afterwards) information on the durability of the coating against humidity, abrasion, climate changes and pollution 4. to improve the coating technique (currently done by hand) as well as the coating chemicals 5. to avoid unnecessary use of chemicals and water 6. to avoid unnecessary mounting and de-mounting work and replace it by a testing technique operated by trained and skilled workers. This research will improve the quality of occupational health, because unnecessary façade mounting/ demounting steps can be avoided. Also the chemicals used in the polymer liquids can be identified, replaced or certain precautions applied. A small environmental effect is present, because unnecessary washing/ coating steps will be avoided. Programme : GROWTH Research Interest : Construction technology, Material technology, Coatings and surface treatment Partners Aquired : ADM_RMK IRC Del No. 207 BBS Ref. OTT-99/06 Target Partner Expertise : companies working in the fields optics/chemical/façade and glass construction Country : EUROPEAN UNION Contact Person Name : KRIEGLER, Bettina Network : Innovation Relay Centre Organisation : Bureau for International Research and Technology Cooperation Address : Wiedner Hauptstrasse 76 City : Wien Region : OSTÖSTERREICH WIEN Country : AUSTRIA PostCode : 1040 Telephone : +43-1-5811616200 Fax : +43-1-581161616 Contact Org. URL : http://www.univie.ac.at/bit/innovat/relay.htm Electronic Mail : kriegler@bit.ac.at