Measuring and Tracking Produce Ripeness

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

Yesterday we reported on how Apeel had established themselves as a company via their coating that helps prolong shelf life in fresh produce. Next they’ve set their sights on helping customers in the produce supply chain measure ripeness. CEO Luiz Beling says they’ve come up with a tool that’s more accurate and less destructive to the fruit than the traditional penetrometer.

Belong… “Now what that tool is actually really good for is when the avocado is really firm. In the early stages: stage one, two and three, the measurement is pretty good because you're penetrating and you're actually measuring. But as the fruit starts to get softer, you lose a little bit of the ability to really measure precise measurement of that softer stage of the fruit. And that's where the durometer, which we borrow from the tire industry is you actually putting pressure against. It's a non-destructive tool, first of all instrument, but you're putting pressure against the skin and it measures a lot better, especially in that stage three to five how or firm the fruit is. And that's why it actually improves the accuracy is because it's actually more accurate in the stages that are more important because it's becoming ripe.”

Apeel has launched their RipeTrack system to help customers measure and track ripeness.