w when fruit is perfectly ripe? Felix Instruments announces the new F-750, a handheld NIR/Vis Produce Quality Meter that non-destructively measures sugars, dry matter, and moisture in produce to identify and track ripeness from harvest to sale. Successfully applied to mangoes, cherries, and apples in research trials, the F-750 is capable of measuring multiple produce traits including total soluble solids, dry matter, acids, and moisture content to determine fruit quality in terms of taste, texture, and color. Potential applications include: monitoring fruit development, optimizing harvest timing, and inbound or outbound lot inspection.
“With the F-750, producers can harvest at ideal ripeness. It brings the power of instant analysis right into the field and adds up to offering a better product on supermarket shelves,” notes Michael Larman, General Manager of Felix Instruments.
The technology behind the F-750 represents a breakthrough in applying chemometrics to NIR analysis, and will be featured at the 2014 International Diffuse Reflectance Conference. The F-750 also measures alcohol and fat content in organic matter, allowing for potential applications in product management for brewers, vintners, and meat and dairy producers. “This instrument has so much potential,” says, Larman “we are only beginning to explore the possibilities.”
