To determine the ripeness of fruit and decide on the optimal time to start harvest, quality meters for avocados, mangos, kiwis and melons have been developed and brought to market in recent years. "These quality meters allow for a rapid assessment of internal fruit quality in a non-destructive way," says Galen George, Director of Applied Science at Felix Instruments and developer of the quality meters. Now, the company is ready to launch a quality meter for grapes.
The new Grape Quality Meter
Compatible with 20 varieties
The development of the latest quality meter has been driven by the California Table Grape Commission. "They approached us in their search for an instrument growers could use to measure the internal quality of their grapes," said George. Based on their request, Felix Instruments spent three seasons collecting data from different grape varieties in an effort to build a model for a grape meter. Since it isn't possible to put all table grapes into one model, three different applications were developed for red, green and black grapes respectively. Altogether, about 20 grape varieties are built into the model to ensure the grape quality meter is compatible with the majority of grape varieties currently grown. "We didn't just use varieties that are grown in the U.S., but also included import grapes from Peru, Chile, and Brazil as these play an important role in the U.S. market during the domestic off-season," mentioned George.
By continuously collecting data season after season, the team at Felix Instruments was able to build robust models that have the ability to measure Brix, titratable acidity, and pH levels of grapes. "This model gives end users the ability to measure those parameters with fast and accurate results." A full validation report with information on each variety is available to customers.
The existing range of F-750 quality meters served as the basis for the Grape Quality Meter. However, one of the significant differences between the Grape Quality Meter and the other quality meters is the size of the fruit that's being measured. Grapes are much smaller in size compared to kiwis, mangos, avocados, and melons. To improve the user experience, an attachment to the existing quality meter was built. "It's a funnel that can hold multiple individual grapes or a bunch of grapes at a time," shared George. While the funnel is optional, it was developed for ease of use.
Expansion into berries
While the new grape meter is designed for use with table grapes, wine and juice grape applications are also currently being developed. This is the first quality meter designed for produce that's smaller in size and has opened the door to expansion into the berry category with quality meters for strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries being in development.
Fruit Logistica Berlin
Although the official launch is set for late February, the new Grape Quality Meter will be on display at the upcoming Fruit Logistica trade show in Berlin from February 5-7. Galen George will be on site to perform demos and customers interested in taking a peek are encouraged to stop by Hall 3.1, booth C-11. After the trade show, Felix Instruments will also host a webinar to showcase the new technology. It will take place on February 18 at 9:00 am PST and registration is available through this link. Interested in receiving first access to release information? Join the early access list here.
For more information:
Galen George
Director of Applied Science
CID Bio-Science / Felix Instruments
Tel: +1 (360) 833-8835
ggeorge@cid-inc.com
www.cid-inc.com